Four people were killed and 50 wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said.
Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr took stock of the investigation at the blast site at Mindanao State University and later visited the wounded in hospital, photographs released by the local government showed.
“I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning,” he said “Terroristic attacks on educational institutions must also be condemned because these are places that promote the culture of peace.”
The police said one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. The blast occurred in Marawi, a city besieged by Islamist militants in for five months in 2017. The Philippine military said on Saturday (December 2) they had killed 11 militants, including members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines, a pro-Islamic State group, in a military operation the day before in Maguindanao del Sur province.
The university said it was said it was suspending classes until further notice.
