Sunday, believers in the Philippines celebrate the first Advent. Suddenly there is an explosion. Four people die. President Marcos Jr. speaks of an act of terrorism.
Four people were killed and 50 others injured in an explosion during a Catholic mass in the Philippines. This was announced by the police and military. According to initial investigations, the explosion was caused by a homemade bomb, the police said. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. blamed foreign terrorists.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the senseless and most heinous acts committed by foreign terrorists,” he said. The president did not give any details. “Extremists who commit violence against innocent people will always be viewed as enemies of our society.”
“Strong indications of a foreign element”
The explosion reportedly occurred during mass on the first Sunday of Advent in a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in the city of Marawi in the south of the country. Marawi is majority Muslim; the Filipinos are predominantly Catholic. The fatalities were three women and one man, it was said. The injured were taken to hospitals. Marawi is located about 800 kilometers south of the capital Manila on the island of Mindanao.
Defense Minister Gilbert Teodoro said authorities had no authority to release further information about the suspected involvement of foreign terrorists in the attack. But he pointed out that there were “strong indications of a foreign element.”
The university condemned the attack and suspended classes until further notice. “Our immediate priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, especially our Christian community,” it said in a statement.
Retaliation for death of Daulah Islamija Maute group fighters?
Marawi was the scene of a five-month siege by Islamist militants in 2017 that killed more than 1,200 people, including civilians. The attack reduced the city to rubble and led to the displacement of around 200,000 people.
Regional police director Allan Nobleza said the explosion could have been in retaliation for the deaths of 11 fighters from the Daulah Islamija Maute group in a military offensive on Friday in nearby Maguindanao province. Major General Gabriel Viray, divisional commander of the army, also said: “This is a terrorist act, probably carried out by the Daulah Islamiya Maute group.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
