Two suspected Muslim militant suicide attackers detonated bombs in an army camp in the southern Philippines on Friday, killing three soldiers, two civilians and themselves, military officials said.

Twelve other soldiers were wounded in the "inhumane" attack by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen on the headquarters of an army brigade combat team in southern Sulu province's Indanan town, officials said.

About 300 newly deployed soldiers were based in the combat camp, they said.

The military has deployed large numbers of troops to predominantly Muslim Sulu to bolster a months-long offensive against remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, which is listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organisation for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

Military officials initially provided sketchy details of the noontime attack and refused to confirm that suicide attackers were involved as an investigation was underway.

The Associated Press, however, saw an initial military report that blamed two suicide bombers for the deadly assault.

Regional military spokesman Maj. Arvin Encinas later acknowledged two suspected militants detonated the bombs in a rare suicide attack at the camp.

Two military officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the attack, also corroborated Encinas' account.

"We will intensify our offensives to crush terrorist groups that hamper the stability and development in Sulu," he said in a statement.

One of the militants tried to enter the camp but was accosted by two soldiers at the gate. The militant managed to detonate his bomb, killing himself, the two soldiers who stopped him outside the gate and a third soldier behind the gate, which was damaged by the powerful blast, Encinas and the two military officers said.

"They saw that first suspect but he still managed to detonate the IED he was carrying," Encinas told reporters, referring to an improvised explosive device or homemade bomb.

The second militant dashed into the camp but was shot by other soldiers, who went on alert after hearing the first explosion.

He yelled "Allahu akbar" or "God is great" before setting off the bomb that he carried, damaging vehicles in a parking lot, one of the military officers said.

The attackers were young, perhaps age 18 to 20, the officer said, adding it was not immediately clear if they were Filipinos or foreigners.

In addition to the three soldiers and two suicide bombers, two villagers were killed at the scene of the attack, army spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said.

Battle setbacks have reduced the number of Abu Sayyaf armed fighters to less than 400 but they have remained a national security threat. They were the main suspects in a Jan. 27 bombing of a Roman Catholic cathedral during a Mass that killed 23 people in Sulu's capital town of Jolo.

The cathedral attack by two suspected suicide bombers sparked the military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, some commanders of which have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Abu Sayyaf militants have largely thrived on ransom kidnappings and extortion. although defense officials say they may have received foreign funds, including from the Islamic State group, to finance attacks.

After their last known hostage, Dutch birdwatcher Ewold Horn, was killed by his captors during a clash with troops in May, the militants no longer hold any hostages in their jungle bases in Sulu for the first time in years due to constant offensives and tightened security. That caused the militants to become more desperate, military officials said. </s> Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 29) — The death toll in the twin blasts at a military camp in Sulu province has risen to eight, authorities said Saturday.

Major Arvin Encinas, spokesperson of the military's Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom), told CNN Philippines among the dead were three soldiers, three civilians, and two suspected suicide bombers. At least 12 soldiers and 10 civilians were hurt, WesMinCom chief Major General Cirilito Sobejana said.

Twin explosions rocked the headquarters of the 1st Brigade Combat Team at Sitio Tanjung, Barangay Kajatian in Indanan town around noon Friday.

Authorities are investigating the attack, and are eyeing the involvement of the Abu Sayyaf group, which is notorious for bombings and kidnappings in the province.

An initial probe showed that one of the two suspected bombers detonated an explosive while being checked prior to entry at the military camp. The other suspect dashed inside, was shot, but was still able to detonate another explosive, Encinas said. He explained the camp was open for "civilian friends."

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Sobejana said that they are looking into the similarities with the Jolo cathedral blasts last January.

"There was a similarity, only that the bombing five months ago at the Jolo cathedral, the first bomb exploded inside the cathedral itself and the succeeding was coming from outside. This time the first explosion happened just in front of the gate, and when the gate was opened another person broke through and the explosion took place at the middle of the camp," Sobejana said.

He added that the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used in both attacks were of the same kind.

"Other than we're looking at the same scenario, the signature IEDs were also the same," he said.

AFP condemns twin blasts at Sulu military camp | https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt pic.twitter.com/pvEe5OBPgT — CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) June 29, 2019

In a separate statement, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez strongly condemned the attack, but asked that judgment be withheld until the investigation is completed.

"Reports suggest that the two civilians who died in the attack were the possible perpetrators. However, let us all hold our judgment until the investigation being conducted by authorities is completed," Galvez said.

He added that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Unity and Reconciliation stand in solidarity with the people of Sulu.

Following the incident, Metro Manila police chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar placed the region under full alert at 6 p.m. on Friday as a preemptive move. </s> JOLO, Philippines — A Philippine official says an Abu Sayyaf commander aligned with the Islamic State group most likely plotted the suicide attacks on an army camp in the volatile south by two militants, whose identities remain unknown.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano cited intelligence Saturday as showing Hajan Sawadjaan most likely harboured the two suicide bombers and plotted Friday’s attack in an army camp that killed three soldiers, two civilians and themselves. The military says 22 other soldiers and civilians were wounded.

Sawadjaan is based in the jungles of southern Sulu province.

The Islamic State group said in a statement two of its fighters carried the attack with explosive belts but overstated the military casualties at about 100.

Ano said it remains unclear if the non-Arabic male attackers were Filipinos or foreigners. </s> MANILA (BLOOMBERG) - Philippines soldiers were involved in fresh clashes with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired militants in the southern island of Mindanao on Saturday (Feb 2), a day after the authorities said two Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the Jan 27 explosions that left 22 people dead in a Catholic church.

Military operations have intensified in a terrorist lair in Maguindanao, part of Mindanao, with bomber planes being used to destroy bunkers that occupy about 20 people, a military spokesman said in a mobile phone message.

In the nearby Sulu province, soldiers encountered about 100 Abu Sayyaf members and a firefight is going on.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said on Friday that two suicide bombers from Indonesia were behind last Sunday's explosions in Sulu that also injured about a hundred people. Members of the Abu Sayyaf acted as a guide in the bombings, Mr Ano told reporters in the central province of Leyte.

CNN Philippines also quoted Mr Ano as saying the Indonesian couple wanted to set an example among Filipino militants, adding there are still some foreign terrorists in the country.

The Philippine military this week launched an airstrike against a splinter group from the Abu Sayyaf that it believed led the attack.

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said a Yemeni couple may have been behind the blast.

The bombings came days after voters endorsed a new autonomous region intended to end decades of violence in the impoverished Muslim-majority area. </s> Two Indonesian suicide bombers, a man and a woman, had carried out the twin blasts in a cathedral on the Sulu province in southern Philippines, which killed 22 people, the Philippine interior secretary said on Friday.

In an official event in the central city of Leyte, Eduardo Ano said that the Abu Sayyaf group had trained the militants, researched the target, carried out reconnaissance and surveillance and transported the couple to the church. </s> MANILA — Two suspected Muslim militant suicide attackers detonated bombs in an army camp in the southern Philippines on Friday, killing three soldiers, two civilians and themselves, military officials said.

Twelve other soldiers were wounded in the “inhumane” attack by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen on the headquarters of an army brigade combat team in southern Sulu province’s Indanan town, officials said. About 300 newly deployed soldiers were based in the combat camp, they said.

The military has deployed large numbers of troops to predominantly Muslim Sulu to bolster a months-long offensive against remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, which is listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

Military officials initially provided sketchy details of the noontime attack and refused to confirm that suicide attackers were involved as an investigation was under way. The Associated Press, however, saw an initial military report that blamed two suicide bombers for the deadly assault.

Regional military commander Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana called the attack inhumane. “We will intensify our offensives to crush terrorist groups that hamper the stability and development in Sulu,” he said in a statement.

Abu Sayyaf militants have largely thrived on ransom kidnappings and extortion. although defense officials say they may have received foreign funds, including from the Islamic State, to finance attacks.

Jim Gomez is an Associated Press writer. </s> Philippines Insurgency Update: Suspected Suicide Bombings in Philippine Army Camp Kills 7 by Jim Gomez – Associated Press

Two suspected Muslim militant suicide attackers detonated bombs in an army camp in the southern Philippines on Friday, killing three soldiers, two civilians and themselves, military officials said.

Twelve other soldiers were wounded in the "inhumane" attack by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen on the headquarters of an army brigade combat team in southern Sulu province's Indanan town, officials said. About 300 newly deployed soldiers were based in the combat camp, they said.

The military has deployed large numbers of troops to predominantly Muslim Sulu to bolster a months-long offensive against remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, which is listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

Military officials initially provided sketchy details of the noontime attack and refused to confirm that suicide attackers were involved as an investigation was underway. The Associated Press, however, saw an initial military report that blamed two suicide bombers for the deadly assault… </s> JOLO, Philippines (AP) — An Abu Sayyaf commander aligned with the Islamic State group most likely plotted the suicide attacks on an army camp in the volatile southern Philippines by two militants whose identities remain unknown, a Philippine official said Saturday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano cited intelligence as showing Hajan Sawadjaan most likely harbored the two suicide bombers and plotted Friday’s attack in an army camp that killed three soldiers, two civilians and themselves. The military says 22 other soldiers and civilians were wounded.

The Islamic State group claimed in a statement that two of its fighters carried out the attack with explosive belts but overstated the military casualties at about 100. It posted what it claimed was a picture of the two young-looking militants before the attack, wearing what appeared to be explosive vests and standing beside a black IS-style flag with lush foliage in the backdrop.

Ano and other security officials have previously blamed Sawadjaan, who is based in the jungles of Sulu province’s mountainous Patikul town, for the Jan. 27 suicide bombing of a Roman Catholic cathedral during a Mass that killed 23 people in Sulu’s capital town of Jolo. He is also the suspected mastermind of a July 31, 2018, explosion of a bomb-laden van that killed its driver, reportedly a foreign jihadist with Moroccan blood, and 10 other people in nearby Basilan province.

The Associated Press has seen a captured militant’s video of the foreign jihadist, who used the nom de guerre Abu Kathir Al-Maghribi, with Sawadjaan and his men in a jungle encampment before the foreign militant died in last year’s blast in Basilan.

Philippine officials vowed to hunt down and destroy Sawadjaan and his men.

“We’ve monitored Sawadjaan’s group training suicide bombers before they were deployed. So we will go to the source and destroy his camp,” Ano said.

“If these bandits have not learned from the terrorists who were annihilated in Marawi, then this time they will,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, referring to the southern city where Philippine troops quelled a five-month siege two years ago and killed hundreds of Islamic State group-linked militants and their commanders.

In Friday’s attack, military officials said one militant tried to enter the camp but set off his explosive when he was stopped, killing three soldiers at the gate. The second militant dashed into the camp but was shot by other soldiers. He yelled “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great,” before detonating the bomb that he carried, damaging vehicles in a parking lot.

If the two attackers turn out to be Filipinos, they would be the first known local suicide attackers in the country’s south, a prospect deemed unlikely by some Filipino officials in the past. The southern region has been the scene of decades-long minority Muslim unrest in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

“Philippine authorities were always deluding themselves to think that somehow it was impossible culturally for Filipinos to become suicide bombers,” said Jakarta-based terrorism analyst Sidney Jones. “This isn’t about culture, it’s about indoctrination, and no one is culturally ‘immune.'”

The suicide attacks underscore an effort by Islamic State group supporters in the region, especially in the Philippines, to show that despite the brutal group’s battle setbacks in the Middle East, “their commitment to the caliphate remains and their fight will continue,” Jones said.

Battle setbacks have reduced the number of Abu Sayyaf armed fighters to less than 400 but they have remained a national security threat. Mostly based in impoverished Sulu and outlying islands, the group has been blacklisted as a terrorist band by the United States and the Philippines for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. </s> At least two people have been killed and four others wounded in a grenade attack on a mosque in the southern Philippines, say local officials.

The attack in Zamboanga city took place in the early hours of Wednesday, just days after deadly twin blasts at a Roman Catholic cathedral in the island of Jolo and a vote backing wider Muslim self-rule in Mindanao, the country's volatile southernmost region.

"A grenade was lobbed inside a mosque killing two persons and wounding another four," regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana told AFP news agency of the attack in Zamboanga.

In a statement, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said the attackers are "taunting" the government in its handling of the peace and order situation in Mindanao.

"Terrorism has once again reared its barbaric and ugly head," Panelo said.

A grenade attack on a mosque in the Philippines left two dead and four wounded, days after twin blasts killed 21 people at Jolo cathedral. pic.twitter.com/EGRh6ZT0RZ — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 30, 2019

The victims were reportedly sleeping inside the mosque at the time of the attack, which drew immediate condemnation from local officials

"There is no redeeming such blasphemous murder. It is the highest form of cowardice and obscenity to attack people who at prayer," said regional leader Mujiv Hataman.

"We call on people of all faiths... to come together to pray for peace."

The Ulama Council of Zamboanga Peninsula condemned what it called a "devilish, irrational and inhumane act" and urged people to be vigilant.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The military called for unity among Mindanao communities and urged the public to refrain from speculation on social media that could spread misinformation.

Regional task force commander Colonel Leonel Nicolas stressed the incident was "not a retaliatory act" for the church bombing three days before.

The country was put on high alert after two explosions during a Sunday church service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo town, Sulu province, killed at least 21 people and wounded more than 100 others.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the cathedral blast, one of the worst incidents of violence in Philippines' restive south.

President Rodrigo Duterte blamed Abu Sayyaf, a domestic armed group that has pledged allegiance to ISIL and has carried out bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Mindanao, for carrying out the church bombing.

"Nobody, but nobody, could perpetuate that kind of terrorism in that area," he said this week during a visit to the region.

The incidents follow a successful and peaceful January 21 referendum that overwhelmingly approved autonomy for the estimated five million inhabitants of predominantly Muslim parts of Mindanao.

That followed a decades-long separatist struggle that has killed at least 120,000 people.

Muslims are a minority in the predominantly Catholic Philippines and represent about a quarter of the population of the Mindanao region.

Sectarian violence does not happen often there and the autonomy plan, which aims to address chronic poverty, underdevelopment and violence, is largely supported by Filipinos nationwide.
Two suicide bombers detonate their devices in Sulu, Philippines, killing four soldiers and two civilians. ISIL claims responsibility.