DAVAO, Philippines (AP) — A powerful explosion killed 12 people and at least 24 others were wounded at a night market late Friday in President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown in the southern Philippines amid a security alert due to a major offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants in the region, officials said.
Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero said it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion at a massage section of the night market, which was cordoned off by police bomb experts and investigators.
TV footage showed plastic chairs strewn about at the scene of the blast, where witnesses said the bodies of some of the dead lay scattered a few hours after the explosion. Ambulance vans drove to and from the area following the blast.
Duterte, who served as a longtime mayor of Davao before assuming the presidency in June, was in the region but has not issued any statement. His spokesman, Ernesto Abella, urged the public to be vigilant.
"While no one has yet claimed responsibility it is best that the populace refrain from reckless speculation and avoid crowded places," Abella said. "There is no cause for alarm, but it is wise to be cautious."
Philippine forces were on alert amid an ongoing military offensive against Abu Sayyaf extremists in southern Sulu province, which intensified last week after the militants beheaded a kidnapped young villager. The militants threatened to launch an unspecified attack after the military said 30 of the gunmen were killed in the massive offensive.