15 killed: ‘Dastardly attacks’ in Philippine island condemned

Fifteen people were killed and 75 wounded — including members of the security forces and civilians — in twin bombings on Monday involving a suicide attacker on a southern Philippine island that is a stronghold of militants, according to news reports.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque condemned the “dastardly attacks” and issued condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed.

The bombs went off within an hour of each other in the main town on Jolo island, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf, a terror group that has intensified its campaign in recent years through the use of suicide bombers, Reuters reported.

The military said the first blast happened around noon, when a homemade bomb in a motorcycle was triggered close to two parked army trucks, killing soldiers and civilians.

As police and army surveyed the scene, a suicide bomber tried to breach a cordon and detonated her device, killing herself and several others.