| Philippine soldiers guard at the scene of the explosion at the physical education and sports facility of Mindanao State University, Marawi City, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On Telegram channel, IS declared: “The warriors of the caliphate (Khalifah – an institution Islamic state) detonated a device at a large gathering of Catholics in Marawi City.”
The bombing occurred during the morning Catholic service at a sports university in Marawi City, Mindanao state, killing at least 4 people and injuring about 50 others. Marawi City was controlled by radical Islamic jihadists for about five months in 2017.
The bombing in Marawi occurred after the Philippine military launched operations to suppress support groups IS In the south of the country, there was a notable campaign in Lanao del Sur, which killed the leader of the gunman group Dawlah Islamiya-Maute on December 3. Philippine Armed Forces Commander Romeo Brawner said it was possible bomb is an act of retaliation.