The attack wounded 77 and was one of the deadliest in recent years in a region long plagued by instability. Jolo is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, which runs a lucrative piracy and kidnapping operation that successive governments have failed to break up. Pictures distributed by the military of the inside of the Jolo church showed several rows of wooden pews destroyed, with debris strewn across a blackened floor. The attack followed Friday’s announcement that the region, a mainly Muslim part of the predominantly Catholic Philippines, had ratified the creation of an autonomous area called Bangsamoro, with 85% of voters behind it. ‘Dastardly act’Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called the attack a “dastardly act” and urged the local population to cooperate and “deny terrorism any victory”.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 27, 2019 04:37 UTC