Blasts rock Zamboanga City anew; no casualty and damage reported

By Ronron
September 4, 2007

Two successive bombings rocked Zamboanga City before dawn of Tuesday perpetrated supposedly by vendors and stall owners of the city’s public market, police said.

Police said the first improvised bomb went off at around 4:40 am near Stall No. 16 of the city market along Venancio Saavedra Street, while the second one followed five minutes later more than 100 meters away, at the meat section of the market, fronting J. S. Alano Street.

The market is located just behind the city police station.

“Investigation conducted by the responding elements of bomb squad disclosed that the explosives were ammonium nitrate used for blast fishing, contained in two bottles of one-liter softdrinks, improvised blasting caps (non-electrict), and mosquito coil used as initiator,” a police report said.

The two bombs were separately placed in boxes.

Police said there was no reported casualty and damage to property following the explosions.

“Investigation is still being conducted to determine the identities of the suspect/s,” the police report said.

In a text message, Region 9 Police Director Chief Supt. Jaime Caringal said it is possible that vendors or stall owners at the market are behind the twin blasts since they are protesting the ongoing clearing operations at the market.

He said the explosion could be directed against the city government.

“(The blasts are) related to the dismantling of the stalls because the market is currently being cleared,” Caringal responded when asked of the motive.

Discounting the involvement of terrorists, Caringal described the bombs as “very crude” that “it could not really hurt anyone.”

In the latter part of August, a bomb went off at the Pershing Plaza of the city, hurting 14 people. Police said the incident was part of retaliatory attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and its allies following the intensified military operations against them in Basilan and Sulu./DMS