On Sunday, during a religious ceremony of Roman Catholic Christians at Mindanao University, a dangerous incident was carried out. President of the  Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has condemned recent deadly bomb blasts in the Philippines, saying “foreign terrorists” were behind the attacks.

What happened?

The incident happened in Marawi, largest Muslim city in Philippines. On Sunday morning, A catholic mass was held at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, a state-run institution. Then suddenly an explosion spread panic among the students, teachers and worshippers. The injured were found lying on the ground in a bloody state.

This incident snatched the lives of four people and seriously injured 42 people. The forceful explosion, suspected to result from a bomb- blasting.

Security actions

The injured were brought to hospital where most of them are being treated for minor wounds and injuries. Many of the injured have already been sent home.

After this incident, the security system has been emphasized in the capital Manila and the southern part of the country.

Police offices in the capital region were on high alert with strict checkpoints to avoid possible follow-up occurrence. Apart from that pre-departure inspections at ports have also been strengthened.

On social media platform X, DZBB radio posted videos showing rescuers carrying injured people out of the gym.

Campus security cheif, Taha Mandangan, said the act was an act of terrorism. Mindanao State University announced the suspension of classes in protest over violence during a religious gathering.

Police said they were investigating at least two people of interest over the bombing.

Daulah Islamiyah-Maute group was a suspect

The Maute group, linked to the Islamic State, previously captured Marawi in 2017 with the aim of establishing a Southeast Asian “province” for the Islamic State, which killed more than 1,000 people in a five-month battle.

According to a Reuters report, military chief Romeo Brawner, who attended a security briefing with soldiers and police in Marawi, suspected the bombing could be a revenge attack for operations against local extremist groups in southern Mindanao. The military recently said it had killed a senior Abu Sayyaf operative.

Abu Sayyaf (ASG) is a group notorious for kidnapping and piracy that has aligned itself with the Islamic State. Abu Sayyaf’s late leader, Isnilon Hapilon, was Islamic State’s anointed “emir” in Southeast Asia and the mastermind behind the 2017 Marawi takeover.

Marawi is a Muslim-majority region in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, which has struggled for decades with lawlessness, separatist violence and sectarian conflict.

Marawi is the capital city of the province of Lana del Sur in the Mindanao region. Philippines is home to 80% Catholic, but Mindanao island is home to a large Muslim population. More than 350,000 residents were forced to flee the city and surrounding areas before Philippine forces liberated the city.”The Daulah Islamiyah-Maute group may have been behind Sunday’s bombing,” said Allan Nobleza, the region’s police commander.

Reactions

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the attack as “foreign terrorists” and vowed to “bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice.”

Global spiritual leader of Christians, Pope Francis offered prayer in Rome for the victims. In a written message, he appealed to Christ to give him all the strength to turn away from violence and overcome every evil with good.

There were “strong indications of a foreign element” in the bombing, said Gilbert Teodoro, incumbent Secretary of National Defense.

Islamic State claimed responsibility

The Islamic State (IS), has claimed responsibility for the bombing at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in the Philippines. In a post on the social platform Telegram, IS said that its members carried out the blast. IS said in a statement that caliphate soldiers detonated a device at a large gathering of Christians in the city of Marawi.