(UPDATED) At least four soldiers were killed as two explosions rocked Jolo, Sulu on Monday, August 24, 2020.
Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said four soldiers died on the spot and 17 other soldiers were wounded.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu, in an initial report, said five soldiers were killed. There were also four civilian casualties.
The Philippine Red Cross, meanwhile, reported six facilities and five wounded who were transported to the Integrated Provincial Health Office.
In an initial report, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) Police Regional Office said the first explosion occurred at 11:53 a.m. and the second happened around 1 p.m.
Police said the first explosion occurred at Paradise Food Shop in Barangay Walled City. While a sweep of the area was being conducted, the second blast happened.
Vinluan said the second explosion occurred on the same street, around 100 meters from the site of the first blast. Initially, he said an improvised explosive device (IED) on a motorcycle had been detonated.
JTF Sulu, in its initial report, also said the explosion at around 12 noon came from a motorcycle parked in the vicinity of Plaza Rizal in front of Paradise.
The police have yet to identify the perpetrators. Investigation is ongoing.
Malacañang condemned the attacks.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the explosion incidents in Jolo, Sulu today, which left scores dead and wounded, including soldiers,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
“We likewise condole with the families and loved ones of those who died in these tragic incidents,” he said.
Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa, in a statement, said he has directed the Police Regional Office in Barmm to secure the area, expedite the investigation and hold all perpetrators accountable. (With Jove Moya/SunStar Philippines)