The opening day of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu City, Philippines was marred by terror attacks as three bomb explosions rocked Wednesday night in three key cities in Mindanao, where seven people were killed and several others injured.
The first blast went off at around 6:00 p.m. near a lotto outlet in front of the Anchor Hotel along Santiago Boulevard in General Santos City, where six people were killed and 23 others were seriously injured.
Two and half hours after, another blast rocked near a police outpost in Kidapawan City, leaving six people including a 14-year old boy injured.
The third blast took place at 10:45 p.m. along Almonte Street in Cotabato City, where one was killed and five others injured.
The bombing spree was the fifth to occur in Mindanao. Last month, a bomb explosion ripped through the Kensan Mall in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, wounding two people and last Friday, another bomb attack rocked in downtown Cotabato City, wounding two more people.
No group claimed responsibility for the latest bombings. Police and military have yet to say if the combined al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant groups were responsible for the attacks.
Australia earlier warned its citizens of a possible bomb attack in the Philippines. It advised its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines because of the high threat of terrorist attack.
The warning travel advisory also said it continues to receive credible reports that terrorists are planning attacks against a range of targets, includingf places frequented by foreigners.
Other reports suggested that terrorists could target sites in Metro Manila, Mindanao including the Sulu Archipelago, and Cebu Province, which is hosting the five-day 12th ASEAN summit.
But Armed Forces chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon shrugged off threats to summits, saying the renewed terrorist warning has no basis. "We are not in the situation the Australians have pictured us to be."
On Tuesday, security officials rehearsed the routes carrying leaders from the 10 ASEAN nations, as well as Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea and India, who confirmed attendance in the 12th ASEAN summit from Jan. 10 to 15. (HG)
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