Bomb kills 1, wounds 8 others in Zamboanga

(UPDATE) ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines— A bomb packed with nails for more lethal effect has exploded in a massage parlor here, killing one person and leaving at least eight wounded, officials said Friday.

The explosion took place at the Manly Massage Parlor in Barangay San Jose, Zamboanga City around 9:47 p.m. Thursday, the police said.

Two of the victims of blast late Thursday in the port city of Zamboanga were in critical condition in a hospital, police said.

City police director Senior Supt Angelito Casimiro said the lone fatality, Geraldine Miguel, died while undergoing treatment at the Zamboanga City Medical Center.

The seven other victims, whom he did not name, were still undergoing treatment for various injuries, as of Thursday evening.

Casimiro said bomb experts were still trying to determine what had caused the explosion.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the night-time attack, which damaged the shop and nearby businesses.

Investigators were trying to determine the identity of the attackers. Zamboanga, a bustling city that’s a gateway to many urban centers in the south, has come under bomb attacks by Abu Sayyaf militants in the past.

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The Abu Sayyaf is a small but brutal group, which is on a US list of terrorist organizations. It’s notorious for bombings, kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and extortion.

More than a decade of US-backed offensives by Philippine military has weakened the al-Qaida-linked militants but they remain a security concern. KS