10 dead and dozens wounded in a double attack in the Philippines

The attack took place, according to Agence France-Presse, in Jolo in the predominantly Muslim region of Solo, where security forces have been fighting the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group for a long time.

Lt. Gen. Corlito Venloon told reporters that five soldiers and four civilians were killed in the first attack when a motorcycle bomb parked outside a shopping store exploded, and 16 soldiers were wounded in the blast, which occurred in the afternoon.

In turn, Lieutenant Colonel Rondalo Matteo quoted the mayor as saying that about 20 civilians were also injured.

A soldier saw a person leaving the motorcycle outside the store, where there were a large number of people, including security personnel, and the bike exploded immediately, according to Matteo, who confirmed that "our soldiers are carrying out security operations, when the hand-made bomb was detonated."

A short time later, a second explosion occurred in the same street when a female suicide bomber detonated herself while the police were closing the site, killing one person and wounding about six members of the police, according to Venloon.

He added that a soldier was trying to arrest her when she blew herself up, likely that the Abu Sayyaf group was behind the double attack.

Abu Sayyaf Group, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, is a network of Islamic fighters who have been held responsible for the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines, kidnappings of foreign tourists and missionaries, and they are linked to ISIS fighters seeking to establish a base for them in Southeast Asia. .

Monday's bombings came after the arrest of a leader in Abu Sayyaf earlier this month on the southern island of Mindanao.