Second bomb blast injures seven in S Philippines

COTABATO, Philippines, March 22 -- At least seven people were injured in the second bomb blast on Sunday in the restive southern Philippines, officials said.

An improvised bomb exploded near an overpass bridge along Quezon Boulevard in Kidapawan, North Cotabato Province, around 6:40 p.m. local time (1040 GMT), provincial vice-governor Emmnuel Pinol told Xinhua by phone.

Pinol said all the victims have been rushed to nearby hospitals.

The blast was so strong that it left a hole at the concrete overpass. Some of the glass windows of establishments near the site were also partly damaged.

"Bomb experts are still determining the type of explosive used by the attackers," Pinol said.

Witnesses said a man was seen at the overpass minutes before the explosion.

Colonel Jonathan Ponce, a local Army spokesperson, blamed the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the blast.

"It's a terrorist work. Rouge Moro rebels are forcing the government to negotiate with them," Ponce said.

Earlier, another powerful bomb ripped through a bus terminal in Cotabato, a nearby southern city.

Motorcycle-riding men lobbed a home-made bomb inside the terminal of a Husky Bus Company along the national highway in the city shortly before 3:00 a.m. local time (1900 GMT), but no one was reportedly killed or injured, Ponce said.

The blast damage at least one vehicle of the company, he added.

"The motive is extortion. We are still determining the kind of explosive used by the attackers belonging to the special operation group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front," Ponce said.

MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu denied the military's accusation.

Philippine troops have been pursing some rogue MILF members who launched attacks last August on towns and villages in the southern region of Mindanao. The attacks prompted government to suspend peace talks with the MILF and ordered a massive assault.