MANILA, Philippines (7th UPDATE) – An improvised explosive device (IED) explosion rocked Isulan town, the official provincial capital of Sultan Kudarat, as it celebrated its Hamungaya Festival on Tuesday, August 28.

The IED blast occurred at around 8:34 pm in Barangay Kalawag 3, in front of J and H Marketing along the national highway which passed through an area of the Isulan town proper where people flocked for ukay-ukay shopping, police said.

As of 11:55 pm Tuesday, one person was reported dead while 36 were wounded, police said.

A Wednesday morning, August 29, update said 2 died while 37 were hurt, according to Isulan police chief Superintendent Celestino Daniel.

Another wounded victim died however, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3 as of Thursday, August 30. Of the 36 wounded, 15 have been discharged from the hospital as of Thursday, police said. (READ: 7-year-old boy among dead after Sultan Kudarat blast)

One of the fatalities was identified as 52-year-old Lenie Ombrog. She was pronounced dead at the Holy Nazarene Hospital before midnight.

Among the wounded, 9 were taken to the Holy Nazarene Clinic and 20 others to the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital.

Daniel told Rappler in a phone interview their initial probe points to the bomb being placed beneath a motorcycle parked in the area before it exploded.

Daniel added they still have no groups to name as behind the bombing, but added they are already pursuing leads on "a few people (ilang tao)."

According to Sultan Kudarat police deputy chief for operations Police Senior Inspector Arnel Ligada, the town is currently observing the Hamungaya Festival, which celebrates "maaliwalas na pamumuhay" (prosperous living).

The festival began on Monday, August 27, and is only set to conclude on Thursday.

A bomb reportedly exploded in a night market in front of Carlitos Restaurant in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat at 8:35PM. 34 patients were transported to 4 nearby hospitals and our chapter provided 5 units of blood for transfusion. pic.twitter.com/kHBtlEVZBh — Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) August 28, 2018

Our team is closely coordinating with the PNP on the incident and doing assessment on the ground. Keep safe everyone! pic.twitter.com/z3QfSZH5Jc — Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) August 28, 2018

– Rappler.com </s> (3rd UPDATE) This is the second explosion to hit the province in less than a week

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Another deadly explosion rocked the municipality of Isulan in Sultan Kudarat on Sunday, September 2.

At least one person was killed in the blast, identified by cops as 18-year-old Jan Mark Lupa.

There were 14 injured – two of them seriously wounded, while 12 others suffered less severe injuries.

According to the initial police report relayed to Rappler by the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office, the explosion occurred at around 7:30 pm near the Novo Building at the Isulan town proper in Barangay Kalawag 2.

Police have arrived to process the blast site.

Just 5 days ago, an improvised explosive device rocked the provincial capital as it celebrated its Hamungaya Festival. </s> COTABATO, Philippines: A bomb ripped through an internet cafe in the southern Philippines on Sunday, killing one person and wounding 15 in the second deadly blast to strike the same city in days, authorities said.

The explosion in Isulan was a short distance from where an improvised bomb under a motorcycle blew up on August 28, killing three and wounding dozens.

These attacks are the latest violence in the south of the majority Catholic archipelago, where militants have been fighting a decades-long insurgency. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, but authorities’ suspicion immediately fell on the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). "It is the BIFF who is responsible," Army General Cirilito Sobejana told AFP. "This group is out to sow chaos." </s> (3rd UPDATE) The improvised explosive device detonates at around 8:34 pm in Barangay Kalawag 3, Isulan town

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – An improvised explosive device (IED) explosion rocked Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat as it celebrated its Hamungaya Festival on Tuesday, August 28.

The IED blast occurred at around 8:34 pm in Barangay Kalawag 3, in front of J and H Marketing along the national highway which passed through an area of the Isulan town proper where people flocked for ukay-ukay shopping, police said.

As of 10:55 pm, one person is reported dead while 35 have been wounded.

Among the 35 wounded, 9 were taken to the Holy Nazarene Clinic and 20 others to the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital.

According to Sultan Kudarat police deputy chief for operations Police Senior Inspector Arnel Ligada, the town is currently observing the Hamungaya Festival, which celebrates "maaliwalas na pamumuhay" (prosperous living).

The festival began on Monday, August 27, and is only set to conclude on Thursday.

Members of a combined military and police explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) team were seen clearing the area as of posting.

A bomb reportedly exploded in a night market in front of Carlitos Restaurant in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat at 8:35PM. 34 patients were transported to 4 nearby hospitals and our chapter provided 5 units of blood for transfusion. pic.twitter.com/kHBtlEVZBh — Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) August 28, 2018

Our team is closely coordinating with the PNP on the incident and doing assessment on the ground. Keep safe everyone! pic.twitter.com/z3QfSZH5Jc — Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) August 28, 2018 </s> COTABATO: A bomb ripped through an internet cafe in the southern Philippines on Sunday, killing one person and wounding 15 in the second deadly blast to strike the same city in days, authorities said.

The explosion in Isulan was a short distance from where an improvised bomb under a motorcycle blew up on August 28, killing three and wounding dozens. These attacks are the latest violence in the south of the majority Catholic archipelago, where Islamist militants have been fighting a decades-long insurgency. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, but authorities’ suspicion immediately fell on the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

“It is the BIFF who is responsible,” Army General Cirilito Sobejana told AFP. “This group is out to sow chaos.” The mayor’s office of Isulan and the military said one person was killed in the bombing and 15 were wounded, four of whom were in critical condition.

The recent blasts follow President Rodrigo Duterte’s government enacting a law to create greater autonomy for the Muslim minority in the south which is hoped to help end the conflict. </s> COTABATO, Philippines: A bomb ripped through an internet cafe in the southern Philippines on Sunday (Sep 2), killing one person and wounding 15 in the second deadly blast to strike the same city in days, authorities said.

The explosion in Isulan was a short distance from where an improvised bomb under a motorcycle blew up on Aug 28, killing three and wounding dozens.

These attacks are the latest violence in the south of the majority Catholic archipelago, where Islamist militants have been fighting a decades-long insurgency.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's bombing, but authorities' suspicion immediately fell on the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

"It is the BIFF who is responsible," Army General Cirilito Sobejana said. "This group is out to sow chaos."

The mayor's office of Isulan and the military said one person was killed in the bombing and 15 were wounded, four of whom were in critical condition.

The recent blasts follow President Rodrigo Duterte's government enacting a law to create greater autonomy for the Muslim minority in the south which is hoped to help end the conflict.

Authorities have expressed worry the law could encourage some militant factions to attack in an effort to derail the peace efforts.

Several armed groups are active against government forces in the south of the Southeast Asian country, where a decades-long rebellion has claimed more than 100,000 lives according to a government count.

Duterte put the southern Philippines under martial rule until the end of this year after pro-IS militants seized the southern city of Marawi last year. </s> A bomb attack on Sunday night in the southern Philippine city of Isulan left one person dead and 15 others wounded, after a similar incident five days earlier killed three people and injured more than 30.

The commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, Cirilito Sobejana, confirmed to media that an improvised explosive device exploded on Sunday night in front of a department store in the center of Isulan, capital of Sultan Kudarat province. </s> MANILA, Philippines — Suspected Muslim militants on Sunday detonated a second bomb in less than a week in a southern Philippine town, killing at least one and wounding 15, a military official said.

The homemade bomb went off late Sunday near an internet cafe in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat province, said regional military commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana. Troops put the town in a security lockdown shortly after the attack.

“We’ve temporarily placed Isulan on a lockdown. We wouldn’t want the suspect to go out. We believe that the suspect is still inside,” Sobejana told reporters.

Three of the wounded were taken to a hospital in serious condition, Sobejana said.

A bomb concealed in a bag went off near a night market in Isulan on Wednesday, leaving three people dead and 35 wounded.

Military officials blamed both bombings on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a small but hard-line group that has aligned itself to the Islamic State group.

Philippine troops in the restive south have been on alert in recent weeks based on military intelligence that Muslim militants, suffering setbacks from battles with government forces, planned to carry out bombings in public areas.

A vehicle bombing on July 31 in southern Basilan province killed 11 people, including the suspected foreign militant who drove the vehicle. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility and identified the attacker as Moroccan. However, it cited a greatly inflated military death toll. </s> Manila, Aug 29 (IANS) Police in the Philippines island of Mindanao were on high alert on Wednesday after a bomb blast in a market in Isulan area killed two people and injured 36 others.

Isulan, capital of Sultan Kudarat province, was celebrating the “Hamungaya Festival” when a bomb exploded on Tuesday night at a market, Efe news reported.

“Effective this morning police units in Mindanao are on full alert status. This is the response until the completion of the martial law,” the state-owned Philippine News Agency quoted General Oscar Albayalde as saying.

Albayalde said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which is affiliated with the Islamic State, has claimed to be behind the attack while further investigations are on.

Isulan Police Chief Celestino Daniel said that the attack had targeted government forces as the bomb exploded when an army convoy was passing through the area.

Three explosive devices were found in the area.
Another bombing incident occurs in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, in the Philippines, when an improvised explosive device explodes outside an internet café, killing one person and injuring 15 others.