OAN’s Abril Elfi
10:33 AM – Monday, December 4, 2023
Four people have been killed while 50 have been injured after Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for an explosion during a Catholic Mass in the southern region of the Philippines.
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During the mass at Mindanao State University’s gymnasium, the suspected bomb allegedly made from a mortar round, had went off and hit students and teachers who were in attendance.
The Islamic State group, which wields influence in the country’s south, said on Telegram its members had detonated the bomb.
Mamintal Adiong Jr., the governor of Lanao del Sur province told reporters at the government-run Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi that over 40 patients were receiving care there, while several others with minor wounds were receiving care at the university’s infirmary.
Mamintal Adiong Jr., the governor of Lanao del Sur province, reported that a “violent bombing” had occurred in the Mindanao State University gymnasium during Sunday’s church service.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the attack, describing it as “senseless and most heinous, perpetrated by foreign terrorists.”
“Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society,” he continued.
The United States condemned the “horrific terrorist attack” in a government statement.
“The United States is in close contact with our Philippine partners and stands with the people of the Philippines in rejecting this act of violence,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
The university released a statement extending their sympathies to the community and informed that classes are suspended until further notice.
While the Philippines is mostly Catholic, Mindanao, the second largest island in the country, is home to a sizable Muslim population.
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