Nine killed, 50 wounded in RP grenade attack

Nine killed, 50 wounded in RP grenade attack

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP): Extremists unleashed a grenade attack in the southern Philippines, killing nine people and wounding 50 others to avenge the death of their leader, officials said on Sunday.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf guerrillas lobbed at least one grenade late on Saturday into a crowd watching firemen put out a blaze in Jolo, capital of the southern province of Sulu, a Muslim stronghold.

Police could not say how many grenades were thrown but witnesses said a series of explosions were heard.

Nine people were killed on the spot, while at least 50 others, including eight marine troopers and two policemen, were wounded by shrapnel and ensuing gunfire.

Many victims sustained serious injuries and some of them have been flown to this port city for treatment.

The blast came shortly after a fire broke out inside the Goodwill Foodmart, triggered by a separate explosion and apparently not part of the Abu Sayyaf attack.

Sulu Governor Munib Estino said a "mis-encounter" occurred between the responding policemen and marine troopers after the grenade explosion, when marine troopers fired warning shots in a bid to control the crowd.

Panicking policemen, who thought the gun shots came from the extremists, fired back, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire.

"There was a commotion and the marines tried to control the crowd but instead figured in a mis-encounter (with the police)," Estino, who arrived in this port city Sunday together with the wounded marine troops, said.

He added a "thorough investigation" into the incident was underway. It was not immediately clear if the extremists had opened fire, or whether any of the wounded sustained bullet wounds.

Sulu police chief Senior Superintendent Isah Hassan said they have beefed up security in the province to prevent further attacks by extremists still smarting from recent government offensives.

The Abu Sayyaf has threatened to attack government and business targets in the south, to avenge the death last month of their feared leader, Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani.

The Libyan-trained firebrand, the country's most wanted man, was killed in a firefight with police in Basilan province. The military has claimed to have neutralized the group after Janjalani's death, with intelligence reports saying it was in the brink of breaking up amid in-fighting over who should succeed the fallen leader.