Xi offers condolences over bombings

Jolo in southern Philippines on lockdown after twin blasts claimed at least 20 lives

President Xi Jinping sent a condolence message on Tuesday to his Filipino counterpart Rodrigo Duterte over the deadly bomb attacks on a church in the southern Philippines which killed 20 and injured more than 100.

On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, also in his name, Xi extended deep condolences to the victims and his sincere sympathy to their families and the injured.

Xi said China is firmly opposed to terrorism in any form, and strongly condemns the violent terrorist attacks toward innocent civilians.

China is willing to work with the international community including the Philippines to crack down on terrorism and safeguard the regional and international peace and stability, he added.

Jolo, the primary island in the Sulu province in the southern Philippines, is now on lockdown as security forces investigate twin explosions at the Roman Catholic cathedral that killed 20 people on Sunday, authorities said.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Duterte had ordered the military to crush those responsible for the atrocities.

"This is an act of terrorism," he said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are on heightened alert after two improvised explosive devices went off on Sunday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the island of Jolo.

Philippine authorities blamed the attack on the Abu Sayyaf, a group of up to 400 that the government has said are behind a series of bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings in Western Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The group is based on the island provinces of Basilan and Sulu. It is aligned with the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the attack.

Authorities are hunting at least six people who were seen on surveillance cameras around the church.

Government forces have launched sporadic offensives to crush the militants, and Duterte has declared martial law throughout the entire southern third of the country to allow troops to finish off radical groups and other insurgents. But bombings and other attacks have continued.

Duterte is outraged by the attacks, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said, adding that Duterte expressed disappointment that despite a movement to tread a path toward peace and development in Mindanao, there are still forces that sow terror and kill people.

"He has issued a directive to the military to secure the safety of the citizenry and to attend to the injured and provide support to the families of the victims," Panelo told a news conference at the presidential palace.

Duterte visited Jolo on Monday. He was seen inspecting the bloodied floor of the church strewn with mangled wooden pews under a shredded ceiling.

He later met with families of the victims at a military camp in Jolo where coffins were laid side by side.

General Oscar Albayalde, the national police director, told reporters at a new conference in Jolo that there are no indications that the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers.

Based on the initial investigation, he said the bombers used pipe bombs stuffed with about 2 kilograms of explosives to achieve a maximum effect of lethality and terror.

Albayalde added that checkpoints were set up to "contain" the area. Stores were closed and people were told to keep off the streets.

Authorities have declared a heightened state of alert to ensure that no similar attacks will break out in other parts of the country.

Under the heightened alert, police in the whole country are mandated to intensify their security measures.

Xinhua and AP contributed to this story.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/30/2019 page12)