Blast kills soldier in Cotabato City

A blast at a military facility in Mindanao has killed a soldier and wounded another, military officials said.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, an army spokeswoman, said Friday that an initial assessment shows the explosion was from a 40 mm round fired from a grenade launcher which landed beside the guard post of a special forces battalion headquarters in Cotabato City.

Authorities are still determining the identities of the suspects and a motive behind the Thursday evening blast.

Cotabato is a trading hub 880 km south of Manila. It has been hit previously by bombings blamed on Muslim rebels and extortion gangs. AP