Militants bomb another telecommunication tower in S Philippines

COTABATO, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Suspected Al-Qaida affiliated militants bombed another telecommunication tower in southern Philippines, Philippine military officials said Tuesday.

Chief Supt. Paisal Umpa, regional police commander, said that suspected members of Abu Sayyaf detonated Monday night a homemade bomb they planted on Globe Telecom Inc's cell site in the township of Parang in Sulu.

No one was reported hurt or killed in the incident.

Last week, suspected Abu Sayaff militants bombed the cell site of Smart Communications Inc., cutting off mobile communications and Internet service in Sulu.

The Abu Sayyaf is blacklisted by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization. The group has been engaged in kidnappings, bombings and even beheadings in Mindanao over the past decade and is considered a major security threat to the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region.