KUALA LUMPUR – At least four people died, and several others were injured after a bomb exploded during a Catholic Mass this morning in a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University, in the city of Marawi, in the southern Philippines.
Campus security chief Taha Mandangan told Associated Press that at least two of the wounded were fighting for their lives while others were left shaken.
“This is clearly an act of terrorism. It’s not a simple feud between two people. A bomb will kill everybody around.”
In response, the army and police have set up security checkpoints around Marawi city while an investigation is being carried out on the attack.
However, one of the angles being pursued is possible revenge by pro-Isis militants.
The Philippine military yesterday said it killed 11 militants, including members of the pro-Isis Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines group, the day before in Maguindanao del Sur province.
The university in a Facebook post said it was “deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering. We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless and horrific act.”
The southern Philippines has a Muslim majority population while the rest of the country is predominantly Roman Catholic. – December 3, 2023