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.