COTABATO CITY (Updated) – A grenade exploded in front of a grocery store along Figueroa St. around 11:30 a.m. Monday, wounding a police officer and seven others, including an 11-year-old boy.

Cotabato City Police Director Willie Dangane said no one has claimed responsibility for Monday's explosion in front of the Co Tiong Bon Grocery Store. It is not clear if these establishments were targeted.

Sam Mundas, a close aide of City Mayor Muslimin Sema, said ambulances of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center here immediately whisked blast victims away.

Six of the victims were identified as Anwar Amil, Francisco Duran, Aladdin Ungga, 11, Shirley Salima, a certain Oding, and a cop identified as P01 Roderick Sta. Ana.

Reports said a vehicle zipped by the grocery store and one of its occupants tossed the live grenade at the entrance door before speeding away.

Mundas said authorities are still trying to determine if extortion is behind the bombing incident.

The grenade-throwing incident occurred at the time the city is still reeling off from the deadly July 5 bombing in front of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral here that killed five persons and injured nearly 50 others.

Cotabato, on the main southern island of Mindanao, is often hit by bombing attacks blamed on Muslim rebels and criminal gangs demanding extortion money from shop owners and transportation companies.(AP/PNA/Sunnex)