At least 27 dead and 48 wounded by explosions in a cathedral in the Philippines

At least 27 people died and 48 were injured by two explosions recorded today in the Cathedral of Jolo Cityin the southeastern Philippines, just days after a referendum to bring peace to the region.

The first explosion took place in the religious enclosure during Sunday Mbad and the second outside the Cathedral, said National Police spokeswoman Kimberly Molitas in Efe.

According to these sources, emergency services are still working in the area and the number of dead and injured can still increase in the coming hours.

"We strongly condemn this atrocious attack that took the lives of all those responsible," said National Police Director Oscar Albayalde, who spoke of a possible attack by terrorist groups.

The majority of the dead and wounded are civilians who attended morning Mbad, although several army officers are tasked with security duties.

The head of the armed forces, Benjamin Madrigal, called on the population to "calm down" while the authorities launched an operation to prosecute the alleged perpetrators of the attack, which has up to has not been claimed by any group or individual.

Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana said the most serious injuries had been transferred by air to the hospital. Zamboangawhile security has been strengthened in all places of worship in the region.

The event takes place a few days after the referendum on the creation of a Muslim autonomous region in the south of the country, baptized Bangsamoro and designed as a peaceful solution to decades of separatist conflict provoked by radical Islamists.

The province of Sulu – where Jolo is the capital – voted against membership in Bangsamoro, but since it is part of the Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region (ARMM), along with four other provinces, its votes are calculated en bloc and will belong to this province. new entity.

In Sulu, several jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State, such as Abu Sayyaf or the Maute group, responsible for bloody attacks in the region, have their strongholds.