Following the terrorist attack on a Catholic cathedral that killed at least 20 people, security forces in the Philippines have largely cordoned off the city of Jolo. Police and army built roadblocks around the city in the south of the country.
The search for the perpetrators is still going on. The terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) claimed the attack for itself. On the island of Jolo – about a thousand kilometers south of the capital Manila – Muslim rebels have been active for many years. The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia where the majority of the Christian population is.
The explosion of two bombs during a church service also injured more than 110 people on Sunday. According to recent findings of the army, the explosives were not detonated by suicide bombers, but were hidden.
Philippine Chief of Police Oscar Albayalde described the situation in Jolo as follows: „There is hardly anyone on the street, many shops are closed. We have the area under control. We have enough soldiers there. “
In Jolo also rebels of the Islamist terror group Abu Sayyaf are active, which are connected with the terrorist militia IS. Abu Sayyaf has repeatedly made headlines in recent years through attacks and abductions, including by Germans.
