Philippine police blame extortion gang for bus bombing

Koronadal: Police say a homemade bomb ripped through a bus and wounded six passengers in the southern Philippines in an attack blamed on an extortion gang led by former Muslim rebels.

Koronadal city police chief Froilan Quedilla stated that the device - made from a mortar shell - exploded as the bus was about to enter a terminal on Saturday.

It was the fourth attack in three weeks on the same bus company, which has ignored extortion attempts by the Al Khobar group, and came several days after a suspected gang member was arrested.

Al Khobar is suspected of carrying out bombings when extortion or ransom payments are not made. It was allegedly behind several bombings.