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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Two Bombs Explode in Philippines

Aired October 17, 2002 - 05:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As we told you about just a couple of minutes ago, two bombs did explode in the Philippines today. The bombings come less than a week after the Bali blasts. So, is there a connection?
CNN's Maria Ressa joins us live by phone from Singapore -- hello, Maria. Is there a connection?

MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's unclear right now, although some of the analysts at a terrorism conference we're attending here, looking at the modus operandi and saying that it sounds very much like Jamia Islamia, the regional network that's been linked to al Qaeda.

Let me tell you a little bit of what happened. It happened a little bit before noon. A bomb exploded at a department store, followed about 20 minutes later by another blast in another department store about a block away. In addition to these two explosions, the Philippine military says that they also found five other bombs. They detonated one and they diffused four. There are at least six dead now, more than 140 injured.

The initial blame, according to the Philippine military, is on the al Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf, although the military says it's not discounting other groups -- Carol.

COSTELLO: American troops are still over there, aren't they, Maria?

RESSA: Yes, they are, and there's another group that just came in over the weekend. Interesting also, on Samwanga (ph) is one of the bases of the U.S. troops who were there for about six months this year. Also, initial findings of the police on this, these bombs, tell them that this is, these bombs have similar characteristics as the October 2 bomb that went off in a nightclub which killed one American soldier and three Filipinos.

COSTELLO: You know, I was just wondering, Maria, the American military is over there to help train Philippine soldiers to take on groups like Abu Sayyaf. How much progress has been made?

RESSA: Well, the Philippine government says that these exercises -- and, again, a little bit of a euphemism because the Philippine military was going after the Abu Sayyaf. It was an all out war and they had the help of U.S. soldiers who were there, 1,200, including 660 U.S. special forces. They have basically dispersed the Abu Sayyaf. They have captured the main leaders, although its main leader, Gadhafi Janjamani (ph), remains loose and he is being blamed, initially, by the Philippine military.

COSTELLO: All right, just a quick update on the blast, because I think we've been neglecting that. How many people hurt? Any people dead?

RESSA: At least six dead, more than 140 injured and officials say that they expect that casualty rate may rise.

COSTELLO: Oh, OK.

Maria Ressa, thank you very much.

A live report from the Philippines this morning.

We'll have more information on that later.

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