At least 19 people were killed in two bomb blasts at a Roman Catholic cathedral on the southern Philippine island of Jolo where Muslim armed groups are active.
Several soldiers were among those killed in the blast, which also wounded nearly 50 people who were attending Sunday Mass, officials said.
The first bomb went off in or near the cathedral of Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, followed by a second blast outside the compound as government forces were responding to the attack, security officials said.
Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde said that at least 19 people died and 48 were wounded. Police and military reports confirmed the victims included both troops and civilians.
Photos on social media showed debris and bodies lying on a busy street outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been hit by bombs in the past.
Troops in armoured carriers sealed off the main road leading to the church while vehicles were transporting the dead and wounded to the hospital.
Some casualties were evacuated by air to nearby Zamboanga city.
“I have directed our troops to heighten their alert level, secure all places of worships and public places at once, and initiate pro-active security measures to thwart hostile plans,” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a statement.
Jolo island has long been troubled by the presence of Abu Sayyaf, an armed group blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organisation because of years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.
No one has immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack, according to Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan, who is reporting from Manila.
“But the timing is suspicious because last week, there was a referendum, and the island of Jolo voted to not be part of this new autonomous government that is being created,” she said.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
