A huge explosion rocked the southern Philippine city of General Santos on Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring at least 60 at a public market, police and witnesses said.
Shoppers and merchants fled the market in panic after the explosion and police cordoned off the area. “It could be a bomb,” said one policeman at the scene. “We’re waiting for the experts.” “The earth shook,” said one dazed woman. “It was a loud explosion.” Three people died at the scene and 10 in three different hospitals, said Chief Superintendent Antonio Billiones, the region’s police chief. “We are still investigating to determine the type and make of the explosive device used in the attack,” he told reporters. Police noted recent reports of threats by Muslim rebels from the Abu Sayyaf, a homegrown group linked to the regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI). But the mayor of General Santos said the blast could have been caused by feuding merchants. Full Story