Van blast in Philippines kills 10

Cotabato (Philippines): Ten people, including troops and civilians, were killed when an explosion tore through a van at an army checkpoint in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, as authorities warned the blast could be linked to a wider plot by Islamic militants. The powerful explosion happened after soldiers and pro-government militia troops stopped the vehicle and tried to search it just after dawn on the outskirts of the Christian city of Lamitan, which is on the predominantly Muslim island of Basilan.
One soldier, five militia troops and four civilians were killed. The van driver, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf militant group also died, Philippine military spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo told reporters.
He added that government forces had been on heightened alert after receiving reports that extremists planned to plant improvised explosives in areas around the island. “We can just imagine the tragedy that this would bring to the people of Basilan had we not stopped them at the checkpoint,” he said. (AFP)