By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
A powerful bomb has rocked a predominantly Christian city in the southern Philippines, killing one person and injuring at least nine others Thursday night, according to authorities.
Zamboanga City’s mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said on her Facebook page that an explosion had taken place at a massage parlor at around 10.00 p.m. (1500GMT).
"One victim, Geraldine Miguel, just expired while undergoing treatment at the ZCMC [Zamboanga City Medical Center]," she said.
Two of the injured are in critical condition, according to the mayor, who has ordered Vice Mayor Cesar Iturralde to oversee the treatment of the victims as well as a thorough investigation to identify and eventually capture the culprits.
Clearing operations at the scene of the blast are ongoing, with the street where the parlor is located being cordoned off.
"The people of Zamboanga are requested to keep calm yet vigilant as the police and military units are responding," Climaco-Salazar posted on Facebook. "The public is requested to help shed light on the incident and is advised to keep calm, as authorities are on top of the situation.”
Authorities have yet to identify the kind of explosive involved in the incident.
The latest bombing in the city – located in a region where several armed groups operate -- came a day after a suspicious baggage was found outside a downtown mall. The incident had caused panic among mall goers who fled the scene, before a police bomb squad defused the explosive Wednesday afternoon.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for Thursday’s bombing. In previous incidents, authorities have blamed such attacks on the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf.
