At least 18 people were killed Sunday when a double bomb attack hit a Catholic church on a southern Philippine island that is a stronghold of Islamist militants, the military said, days after voters backed expanded Muslim self-rule in the region.
A powerful first blast shattered pews, broke windows and left bodies strewn inside the cathedral in the Catholic-majority nation's restive south as mass was being celebrated.
Just moments later a second explosion outside killed troops who were rushing to help the wounded in the smoking and heavily damaged church on Jolo, which is overwhelmingly Muslim.
It is one of the deadliest bomb attacks to strike the insurgency-plagued southern Philippines in years, and shows the insurgency in the region is still a threat despite recent steps toward peace, experts said.
The bloodshed came less than a week after voters' decisive approval of giving Muslims in the south more control over their own affairs, which sparked hopes of quelling long-time separatist violence.
"Just because the (referendum) has passed does not mean that things are going to get better overnight," said Gregory Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy.
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"There are still militant groups that will continue to be active and pose a security threat," he told AFP.
Bishop Angelito Lampon, who previously served in Jolo, said Sunday's attack may be the worst, but was certainly not the first on the church.
"In my 20 years there from 1998 to last week, there were seven hand grenades lobbed into our cathedral," he told AFP.
"Fortunately there was just a little damage and no casualties." Manila swiftly vowed to hunt down the attackers, but no group has claimed the bombing.
"We will pursue to the ends of the earth the ruthless perpetrators behind this dastardly crime," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
"The law will give them no mercy."