ISIS has claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion that ripped through a Catholic Mass service at a university gym in the southern Philippines on Sunday.
At least four people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the blast at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, according to authorities.
In a communique, ISIS said its fighters “detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christian disbelievers in Marawi City,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a counterterrorism threat intelligence organization that tracks the online activity of extremist groups.
Photos of the scene showed soldiers and emergency workers standing among debris in the gym. A section of the seating area was blown up, chairs strewn across the floor.
Lanao del Sur province Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., told reporters more than 40 people were being treated at a government hospital in Marawi, while a number of others with minor injuries were treated at the university’s infirmary following the blast. Continue reading