Four people have been killed and forty-two others injured in a horror explosion at a Catholic Mass that happened on Sunday, December 3 morning in the southern Philippines.
The grisly incident happened in a gymnasium of Mindanao State University (MSU), which is one of the country’s largest tertiary institutions.
The university is located in Marawi, Philippines largest Muslim city. According to officials, a grenade or an improvised bomb is likely to have caused the explosion.
Of note, the December 3 Sunday masses across the Philippines drew larger crowds than usual because it is the start of Advent, the Catholic Church’s four-week vigil to Christmas Day.
Further, photos shared on social media by local officials showed the aftermath of the senseless attack, with plastic chairs in disarray and dark fragments spotting the ground of the MSU gymnasium.
However, other than the damage on the floor, the building did not appear to have sustained any major damage.
Notably, the injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital and received treatment mostly for minor wounds and bruises.
The Mindanao State University also issued a statement condemning the violent attack.
“Violence has no place in a civilized society, and it is particularly abhorrent in an institution of higher learning like MSU,” the university noted.
“We stand in solidarity with our Christian community and all those affected by this tragedy, “the MSU statement further stated adding that additional security had been deployed on its campus.
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Additionally, MSU informed that all academic activities would be suspended until further notice.
Attack Speculated to be a Terrorist Act
Nonetheless, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr condemned the blast as a senseless and heinous act.
“Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society,” the president stated.
Notably, the head of state also noted that that attack was perpetrated by foreign terrorists.
However, his statement opened a whole can of worms since he did not elaborate on the particular statement.
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President Ferdinand additionally appealed to the public to remain calm.
“Rest assured, we will bring the perpetrators of this ruthless act to justice,” he noted in a statement on his official X account.
Further, the Army Major General Gabriel Viray III called the attack at the Mindanao State University a terror act.
Of note, the Philippine military killed eleven militants on Saturday, including members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines group.
The operation against the militants led to the recovery of ten high-powered firearms and three explosive devices.
Therefore, military officials speculated that militants of the Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group could be behind Sunday’s bombing.
