MANILA (PHILIPPINES) – As many as 15 people were dead and 75 injured in two twin blasts on a southern Philippines island. Security forces and civilians are among the victims and Islamic militants are supposed to be behind Monday’s attack.
The bombs exploded in the gap of an hour in the main town on Jolo island, which is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, an outfit linked to the Islamic State, which has intensified its fight against the government by deploying suicide bombers.
The biggest attack in the southern part of the country since last year, the outfit has not claimed any responsibility so far. In January last year, more than 20 people were killed and 100 wounded in a blast in a church in Jolo.
According to the military, the first bomb went off at noon in a motorcycle parked close to two army trucks.
Later, a female suicide bomber breached the police cordon and detonated the bomb killing herself and many others.
Eight soldiers, six civilians and the bomber were killed and 27 security personnel and 48 civilians were wounded in the attacks on Jolo, which is one of the numerous Muslim-majority islands in the southwest of the country, which is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the explosion incidents in Jolo,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
“Authorities are now conducting an investigation, which includes identifying individuals or groups behind these dastardly attacks.”
The troops targeted belonged to a special infantry unit created by President Rodrigo Duterte to wipe out Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for banditry, kidnapping for ransom and attacks on civilian and military targets.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.