5 killed in bomb blast near Jolo school

ZAMBOANGA CITY — (UPDATE 2) At least five people were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off outside an elementary school in Jolo, Sulu around 5:20 p.m. Thursday.

The explosion came as soldiers battled Abu Sayyaf gunmen on Sacol Island here.

Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said the IED was placed near the fence of the Salih Ututalum Elementary School in San Raymundo village.

He said two of the fatalities instantly died while the three others were among several victims earlier rushed to hospital for shrapnel wounds.

Local military chief Brigadier General Romeo Tanalgo told Agence France-Presse that those killed were tricycle drivers waiting for commuters, but the school was already empty when the incident took place.

"Two people were killed on the spot, while three others died in hospital. Three others were wounded. Military ordnance experts were dispatched to the area," he told reporters.

Cabangbang could not say if there were children among the fatalities, adding that they were still awaiting further reports.

But he said the explosion also damaged a building and several vehicles.

Nobody owned up to the explosion yet, Cabangbang said.

But previous bombings in Jolo and nearby areas were blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, a ragtag band of self-styled Islamists that shot to notoriety because of its high-profile kidnappings.

Authorities have been hunting down remnants of the group, who have been hopping between islands in the Sulu Sea to avoid being caught.

Also on Thursday, a firefight between Army soldiers and Abu Sayyaf bandits broke out in Sacol Island here.

Sacol Island is about 30 kilometers from the city.

Cabangbang said the military was dealing with high value targets, including Abu Sayyaf leaders Khair Mundos and Puruji Indama.

He said soldiers were operating on the island when they clashed with about 15 bandits.

He said the military has used rockets against the Abu Sayyaf.

Residents reported that the military also used helicopters during the firefight.

Impoverished Sulu, about 980 kilometers south of Manila, has been targeted by the Abu Sayyaf in the past.

Founded in the 1990s with seed money from Al Qaeda, the Abu Sayyaf is a small gang of Islamic militants blamed for the country's worst terrorist attacks.

The group is also blamed for kidnappings and killings of Western targets, Christian missionaries and ordinary citizens. (with reports from Associated Press and Agence France-Presse)