MANILA — Explosions Sunday morning at a cathedral in Jolo, in the Philippine region of Mindanao, killed at least 27 people and wounded dozens of others, just after a landmark vote to form a new Muslim autonomous region here after decades of unrest.
The attack has put Philippine armed forces on high alert, securing “all places of worship and public places,” according to Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
The attacks, caused by two IEDs, occurred at around 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, just before Mass, according a statement from Lorenzana. The first bomb went off as churchgoers were attending service in the morning, and a second was detonated as soldiers rushed into the church to respond.
Photos of the cathedral, the Cathedral of our Lady of Mount Carmel, shared on social media show wooden pews lying in ruins, and debris littering the floor. Bodies were lying on the street outside.
At least 77 people were injured. Some of the casualties had to be airlifted to the nearby city of Zamboanga for treatment.
“We are in close coordination with [Philippine National Police] counterparts to aid in the investigation and in the identification of the perpetrators,” the Philippine army said.
No specific armed group has yet to claim responsibility for the blast, but the office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte condemned the bombing as an “act of terrorism.”
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines will rise to the challenge and crush these godless criminals,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
The attacks come just after the region voted this week in a landmark referendum aimed at bringing peace to a region that has for decades been plagued by conflict and violence.
The vote for the so-called Bangsamoro Organic Law, ratified this week, created a new autonomous region in the Muslim-heavy region of Mindanao, which will first be governed by a transitional authority before a new regional government is set up.
Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, rejected the law, but would still be considered part of the autonomous region.
The island province has been known as a base of operations for the militant Abu Sayyaf Group, which has been listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Various abductions, bombings and killings have been attributed to the group, including the 2001 kidnapping of three American citizens.
Some fear the blast may be a way to shake up the peace process, as some militant factions were not involved in negotiations for the Bangsamoro. It also comes after a mall bombing that left two dead in Cotabato City, some 600 kilometers away, last December.
Lorenzana in a statement urged the public to “remain calm and avoid spreading panic in our respective communities to deny terrorism any victory.”
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