CNN.com writes on yesterday evening’s bombings in some of the country’s major metropolitan areas.



Excerpts:

Philippines bombings kill at least 9


Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility


Monday, February 14, 2005 Posted: 11:59 AM EST (1659 GMT)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Three bombs jolted Manila and two other Philippine cities Monday, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 100 others, police said. The Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the blasts.

The group said the bombings were retribution for a major military offensive against Islamic militants in the southern Philippines, where 60 people have been killed in recent clashes.

“You can attribute this to us,” an Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Solaiman, told DZBB radio 20 minutes after Monday’s first two blasts.

“There is one more to come,” he said before the Manila bombing.

…

The Manila bombing occurred about 7:30 p.m. on a bus along a busy highway just below a station for an elevated train and near the Intercontinental Hotel. Police said three people were killed and at least 60 others injured as the bus exploded in flames and sent debris that hit two other buses.

…

Abu Sayyaf leader Solaiman promised more attacks in the future.

“Our latest operations — planned and executed with precision by the gallant warriors of Islam — is our continuing response to the Philippine government’s atrocities committed against Muslims everywhere,” Solaiman said.

“We will find more ways and means to inflict more harm to your people’s lives and properties, and we will not stop unless we get justice for the countless Muslims lives and properties that you people have destroyed.”

(Emphases are mine)

I do remember a similar case back in December of 2001, where five bombs were simultaneously set off in different areas in Metro Manila, including the Light Rail Transit and a bus plying EDSA, one of the major thoroughfares cutting across the metro.

As with my post on the J Spot last September (images have been removed from the CNN server, though), I would still say that only cowards would include innocents in their war for their ‘ideologies.’

Fear is the main weapon of terrorists. I say we stop being afraid and instead start being aware, and ultimately sensitive to the means how we can put a stop to all this senseless violence in the long term.

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