Alwaght- At least 35 people watching a boxing match have sustained injuries after two bomb attacks went off in a central town in the Philippines, officials say, a second instance of terrorism in the Southeast Asian country in less than a week.
Late on Wednesday, two explosions, the second weaker than the first, rocked the town of Hilongos, in Leyte Province when hundreds of people had gathered to watch an amateur boxing competition, held as part of an annual Roman Catholic holiday festival.
According to the provincial police spokeswoman, senior inspector Jenyzen Enciso, 16 of the wounded had been submitted to nearby hospitals and the rest had been treated on the scene by paramedics. At least 10 children, aged seven to 15, were among the injured.
Police also said that they had recovered an 81-millimetre mortar cartridge and a mobile phone, apparently used to detonate the two homemade bombs, near the blast site.
There has not been a claim of credit for the bombing, but officials in the town say they have recently cracked down on drugs, auto theft and counterfeiting operations, suggesting the bombs may be linked to the law enforcement efforts.
"We didn't expect this," said Hilongos Mayor Alberto Villahermosa. "There was no bomb threat prior to this incident. We were caught by surprise when this happened since we are a peace loving town."
The blasts took place four days after a grenade explosion wounded 16 people outside a Catholic church during a Christmas Eve mass in the country’s restive southern island of Mindanao.
Police said they had no clue whether that incident was linked with the Wednesday bombings.
The Philippines is already on alert for sporadic terror attacks in the country, particularly in its southern parts, where the two terrorist groups of Abu Sayyaf and Maute operate. Both groups have pledged alliance to ISIS terrorist group, which is itself mainly active in Iraq and Syria.
The deadliest recent terrorist attack in the Philippines occurred in September, when 15 people lost their lives in an explosion in President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown of Davao.
