Bomb blasts hurt more than 30 at Philippine boxing match

Hilongos, Leyte (Wikipedia Photo)

MANILA, Philippines—More than 30 people were wounded when two bombs exploded while they who were watching a boxing competition in a central Philippine town as part of an annual Roman Catholic festival, police and other officials said Thursday.

The wounded were brought to a hospital in Hilongos town in Leyte province following the late-Wednesday blasts of what initially appeared to be cellphone-detonated homemade bombs, regional army spokeswoman 1st Lt. Cherry Junia said.

Nobody has claimed responsibility that wounded 31.

Police said investigators were trying to identify the attackers.

Philippine forces have been placed on alert amid on and off offensives in the country’s south against Muslim militants, including Abu Sayyaf gunmen and armed sympathizers of the Islamic State group who have targeted the capital, Manila, and other urban centres in the past.

Communist guerrillas also have a presence in Leyte province, about 610 kilometres (380 miles) southeast of Manila, but there was no immediate indication they or Muslim militants were involved.