13 Dead, 70 Wounded in Manila Bomb ExplosionsAt least 13 persons were killed, including a policeman, and 70 others were wounded in five bomb explosions in various parts of Metro Manila at about noon Saturday, the country's ABS-CBN news channel said.The biggest explosion occurred at the Light Railway Transit (LRT) station at Bluementritt in Manila where 11 people were killed and 56 others injured. Police said another explosion went off at the plaza standing on the streets in front of the United States Embassy in Manila, where 9 persons were wounded. Another explosion reportedly hit a passenger bus and a jeep, in Quezon City, injuring 13 people, while the bomb at the Manila International Airport exploded near a gasoline tank. A police bomb expert died as a bomb exploded while he was trying to disarm the explosive found in five-star Dusit Hotel in Makati city, the financial center in Manila. The explosions took place a day after the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced the capture of two Abu Sayyaf members whose alleged mission was to sow terror in Metro Manila during the Christmas holiday. Security forces rushed to the scene but no suspects were arrested so far. Most of the casualties were rushed to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital and the Chinese General Hospital. On Friday, police said they arrested two leaders of the Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf, one of whom was said to be the youngest brother of Kadaffi Janjalani, chief of the Abu Sayyaf who was killed by police in the late 1990s. |
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