May 6, 2000, The Associated Press / Seattle Times, Bombs rip buses; 6 Filipinos die, 35 hurt,

May 6, 2000, The Associated Press / Seattle Times, Bombs rip buses; 6 Filipinos die, 35 hurt,

BUTUAN, Philippines - Bombs ripped through two passenger buses in the southern Philippines yesterday, killing six passengers and injuring 35 people, a radio station reported.

The bombings followed other blasts around the Mindanao region, the scene of gun battles between the government and Muslim secessionist rebels this week. The largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, declared a unilateral cease-fire that began this morning, but scattered violence continued.

No group claimed responsibility for the bus bombings, but the military has blamed the MILF for the other explosions. Criminal gangs extorting money are also known to have bombed buses in Mindanao in the past.

Meanwhile, troops on patrol near the former stronghold of a small Muslim rebel group, the Abu Sayyaf, made a grisly discovery yesterday: two headless bodies buried in a shallow grave.

The corpses were the first evidence that the Abu Sayyaf actually beheaded two of their Filipino captives, as they had claimed last month.

The dead men's hands were tied, said Col. Fernando Bajed of the army's 103rd brigade.

The rebels seized about 50 hostages, including many children, from two schools in March. They released about 20 of them, but then, two weeks ago, they announced they had beheaded two teachers because the government had ignored their demands.

Though the rebels presented no proof that they had killed the teachers, the military responded to the claim by attacking the group's stronghold on April 22.

The kidnappers fled with their remaining 27 hostages last weekend, just before their camp was overrun by the military. Pursuing soldiers later rescued 15 of the hostages, but four others were killed by the rebels. The guerrillas are believed to be still holding about eight people.

On nearby Jolo island, other Abu Sayyaf rebels holding a separate group of 21 hostages, including 10 foreign tourists kidnapped from a diving resort, have also threatened to behead two captives if the military does not pull back from the area.