At least four people were killed in a powerful explosion during a Catholic mass in the Philippine city of Marawi on Sunday morning. Dozens of people were also injured. Local authorities have said this, reports AP news agency. “This is clearly a terrorist act,” said the security chief of Mindanao State University, where the blast took place.
The mass was celebrated on the university campus. When the explosive went off, there was panic. Two of the injured are said to be in mortal danger, according to security chief Taha Mandangan, he told AP. Police immediately cordoned off the site and are currently examining security camera footage.
President: Foreign terrorists responsible
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos condemned the violence “committed by foreign terrorists” Sunday via X, the former Twitter. “Extremists who commit violence against the innocent will always be considered enemies of our society,” Marcos said. “We will bring the perpetrators of these brutal actions to justice.” The president gave no further details about who he believed were behind the explosion.
Marawi is located in the predominantly Muslim south of the Philippines, which has a majority Roman Catholic nationally. There have been no claims of responsibility for the explosion, but authorities are targeting Islamic militant groups active in the region. Police are investigating whether there is a link between Sunday morning’s explosion and a military offensive last Friday, in which eleven fighters from the IS-affiliated Dawlah Ismaliyah were killed. In 2017, the jihadist militant group attacked the city of Marawi, killing more than 1,100 people, mostly members of Dawlah Islamiyah, in five months of fighting.