Manila
Bombs exploded in the Philippine capital and two other cities this week, killing seven people and injuring more than 100. Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group linked to al Qaida, claimed responsibility. Abu Solaiman, a leader of the group, said the attacks were meant to punish President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her government’s recent military offensive in Jolo, where the group is based. “This is our Valentine’s gift for her,” he said. The Muslim separatists have been fighting for independence from the Catholic Philippines for more than a decade. The last multiple bombing in the Philippines was carried out in 2000, by Jemaah Islamiyah, a different al Qaida affiliate.
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