8 wounded in 2 separate blasts in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA City, Philippines—At least eight persons were wounded in separate explosions, which occurred here, between 12:35 and 12:45 p.m. Sunday, the police said.

Senior Supt. Edwin De Ocampo, acting city police chief, said the first blast occurred inside a cockpit in Barangay (village) San Roque around 12:35 p.m. and wounded four persons.

About 15 minutes later, another explosion took place, this time in Barangay Guiwan, about four kilometers away from the cockpit.

De Ocampo said four persons were wounded in the Guiwan blast that occurred beside the Red Palm Pension House.

De Ocampo, the acting city police chief, said they were still determining the type of explosive devices used in the two attacks.

Bomb attacks by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen had been recorded here in recent years, killing or wounding dozens of civilians.

These included the October 2002 explosion at the Fort Pilar Shrine here, in which a soldier was killed.

In May 2008, two people were also killed and more than a dozen others wounded when a bomb went off outside the base of the Philippine Air Force here.

The blast also damaged a building in front of the military base, where US soldiers maintain a small camp.

Originally posted at 02:08 pm | Sunday, October 09, 2011