Double bombing in the Philippines, at least 21 people died
Two bombs exploded today outside a Roman Catholic church in the southern Philippines, killing at least 21 people and injuring 71.
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Victims of the bombing are treated at the hospital. Photo:AP. |
Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said the first bomb exploded in or near the Jolo church during a prayer service. The second bomb exploded outside the church as authorities responded to the first incident.GuardianThe dead included both soldiers and civilians.
Photos posted on social media showed rubble and bodies lying on a busy road outside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, which has been bombed in the past. Soldiers in armored vehicles blocked the main road leading to the church while other vehicles transported bodies and the injured to hospitals. Some people were evacuated by plane to nearby Zamboanga City.
"I have ordered our troops to heighten their alert level, secure all places of worship and public places at the same time, and initiate security measures to thwart hostile plans," Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced.
Jolo Island, Sulu Province, has long been in turmoil due to the presence of Abu Sayyaf rebels, a force listed as a terrorist organization by the US and the Philippines for bombing, kidnapping and beheading hostages.
Abu Sayyaf is holding at least five hostages, including a Dutch citizen, two Malaysians, an Indonesian and a Filipino, at bases deep in the jungle, mainly near the town of Patikul, not far from Jolo.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the church in Jolo, but Abu Sayyaf is the prime suspect. Other militant groups in Sulu, including a small group of extremely young fighters affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), have also carried out a number of attacks, including kidnappings and beheadings.