A suspected improvised bomb attack at a university campus in the Philippines, has left 24 people wounded -- many critically -- including students and teachers, police said Monday.
It appeared a fire was set off deliberately in a school building housing security personnel at the state-run Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology, before the blast occurred Sunday night, police added.
"The fire drew responders, including firemen, teachers, and students, and they were among the injured," explained Senior Inspector Rolly Oranza of the local police force in the troubled Mindanao region.
He said 17 of the wounded remain in a critical condition at the hospital.
Police told AFP they believe the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device, but ordnance experts are still determining the exact details.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and police are still trying to determine the motive, Inspector Oranza said.
The school is situated in Arakan, a quiet farming community on the southern island of Mindanao, populated mostly by indigenous tribes.
Mindanao is gripped by a long-running Muslim insurgency that has left more than 150,000 dead.
While Muslim rebels are not known to operate in Arakan, there has been violence between armed paramilitary groups fighting for control of the area.
Communist rebels are also known to have some presence in Arakan, but police said it was unclear if they were involved.
In October 2011, an Italian Catholic priest who had been helping tribal groups was shot and killed as he was leaving his parish in Arakan.
In September, Oranza said police recovered and defused an improvised bomb planted near the school's flagpole.
AFP
Mon Jan 13 2014
IShowSpeed tiba di KL, terima baju batik daripada peminat
Speed menerima hadiah daripada beberapa orang peminat Malaysia ketika kenderaannya berhenti di lampu isyarat di ibu negara pada Selasa,
Penyanyi Sean Diddy ditangakp di New York
Penerbit muzik terkenal, Puff Daddy atau lebih dikenali sebagai Sean Diddy Combs yang berdepan dengan beberapa tuduhan serangan seksual telah diberkas di Manhatann, New York oleh ejen persekutuan pada Isnin waktu tempatan.
10 maut, puluhan cedera bas Iran terbalik
Menurut angka awal, kemalangan itu mengakibatkan 10 maut dan 41 cedera.
Malaysia perlu melabur dalam infrastruktur
Pengarah Eksekutif Ukrainian Prism, Hennadiy Maksak berpandangan, Malaysia juga tidak boleh bergantung kepada satu laluan, selain menjalin hubungan yang baik dengan negara-negara jiran.
Lebih 1,000 rakyat termasuk pejuang Hezbollah cedera parah
Lebih seribu rakyat Lubnan termasuk anggota pejuang Hezbollah dan petugas perubatan cedera parah dalam satu letupan pada Selasa.
Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional memudahkan operasi perdagangan antara Malaysia dan China
Menteri Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz berpendapat inisiatif Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional (National single window) yang bakal diharmonikan Bersama system kastam China akan memudahkan operasi perniagaan dan perdagangan (ease of doing business) antara Malaysia dan China.
Medan selera perlu ditambah baik, kemudahan asas tidak lengkap
Air bergenang di lantai dan tempias sehingga meja makan mengakibatkan pengunjung basah. Itu situasi apabila keadaan hujan lebat di Medan Selera Taman Makmur di dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota yang menempatkan deretan 12 kedai makan.
Calon manfaat platform media sosial dekati pengundi luar
Kempen Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota turut memberi tumpuan kepada penggunaan media sosial bagi menambat hati pengundi luar selain kempen secara bersemuka.
Seorang wanita maut jatuh lubang saluran air
Seorang wanita maut selepas terjatuh ke dalam lubang saluran air sedalam dua meter ketika menyertai aktiviti mendaki di Bukit Cherok Tok Kun pada Selasa.
Kerja pembersihan sisa kimia dijalankan pada Selasa
Kerja-kerja pembersihan sisa bahan kimia yang dibuang secara haram di Kawasan Perindustrian Tiong Nam dan Kawasan Perindustrian Tropika, Johor bermula pada Selasa.