Bombs kill at least 15 in Philippine town on alert for Islamist attacks

MANILA, Philippines－Suspected Islamic militants set off powerful bombs in a southern Philippine town on Monday, killing at least 15 people despite extra tight security because of threats of attacks by Islamic State-aligned militants, military officials said.

The explosions killed seven soldiers, a policeman, six civilians and a suicide bomber, and wounded 21 soldiers, six policemen and 48 civilians, military and police officials said.

Regional military commander Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan said a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded at noon near two parked army trucks in front of a grocery and a computer shop in Jolo town in Sulu province.

"It was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device which exploded while our soldiers were on a marketing run," Vinluan said.

A second blast nearby, apparently from a female suicide attacker, occurred about an hour later and killed the bomber and a soldier, Vinluan and other officials said.

A third, unexploded bomb was reportedly found in a public market. Jolo was placed in a security lockdown by troops and police.

Pictures seen by The Associated Press showed soldiers carrying a man from the scene of the explosion near an army truck while another blast victim lay on the road. The wreckage of a motorcycle and partial remains were seen on the road.

The first bombing was carried out near a town plaza and a Roman Catholic cathedral.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the military blamed an Abu Sayyaf militant commander, Mundi Sawadjaan, for the bombings.

Violent group

Military officials said last week that Sawadjaan planned to launch bombings in Sulu using two female suicide attackers. Army troops were carrying out a covert operation to locate and capture Sawadjaan and the suicide bombers in June when four army personnel were stopped at a Jolo police checkpoint and later shot to death by police personnel.

The army angrily demanded murder charges be filed against nine policemen. Police officials, however, say it may have been a mistaken encounter between the army and police forces.

The military has been waging a months-long offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group aligned with the Islamic State group and blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist group for past bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

The numbers of its armed fighters have dwindled to a few hundred in recent years due to battle setbacks and surrenders, including a key commander, Abduljihad Susukan, who gave up to authorities two weeks ago after being wounded in battle.

Susukan has been blamed for kidnappings and beheadings of hostages, including foreign tourists. He surrendered through a Muslim rebel chief who had signed a peace deal and was cooperating with the government. Susukan, now in police custody, faces multiple murder charges.

Military officials said they were not discounting the possibility that Monday's bombings may have been staged partly as a retaliation for the detention of Susukan.

Agencies - Xinhua