MANILA, March 6 Kyodo A ranking M...

MANILA, March 6 Kyodo

A ranking Muslim separatist rebel was among those killed in a Tuesday bombing that ripped by the agency of a waiting shed near the arrival area of the Davao International Airport, a Philippine defense spokesman said Thursday.

Lt Col Danilo Servando told reporters Sudang Muntazer, also known as Taksil, could have carried the improvised explosive, which may have gone most distant prematurely. The blast killed 21 the community and injured more than 100

Servando's statement hold uped the theory the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation brass (MILF) was behind the deadly explosion and that Sudang was the ''bomb carrier.''

Edi Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF, confirmed Sudang was at the airport, on the other hand he said Sudang was there along with relatives to effect a sister arriving from the Middle East.

however Servando even issued background information, including Sudang's purported take again to prove Sudang has been involved in antigovernment operations since 1990s

Servando's military report said Sudang, 23 has been with the MILF since he was 16 and held the rank of colonel in the MILF hierarchy.

The report was based in succession a ''summary'' seized by the military about three years ago during a skirmish at the Buliok complicated an MILF stronghold and alleged training camp in Mindanao.

if it be not that Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reye said it is still too early to accuse Sudang of setting not on the blast. ''There is this document, however we have to evaluate it,'' he said.

Wednesday, a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf rebel cluster claimed his group was behind the Davao bombing, nevertheless the military refused to recognize the claim, saying it was apparently made to ''muddle the issue.''

The MILF is the country's largest Muslim separatist arrange while the Abu Sayyaf, with about 400 members, is responsible more for kidnapping-for-ransom, piracy, robbery and extortion in the southern Philippines.

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but groups, however, are said loosely affiliated with the al-Qaida terror clump led by Osama bin Laden.

U companys helped Philippine troops flush abroad some Abu Sayyaf members last year during a six-month joint counterterrorism exercise.

A similar exercise is to be launched in a hardly any weeks, but the details are still being decided.

Local police, military and sway officials have launched a massive manhunt to bag the perpetrators of the airport blast. The dragnet has thus far resulted in nine arrests.

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