Explosion on Philippine island kills eight, wounds at least dozen others

Explosion on Philippine island kills eight, wounds at least dozen others

An explosion inside a grocery store killed at least eight people and wounded about a dozen others Monday on a violent southern island in the Philippines , police said.

The explosion took place in downtown Jolo town on Jolo island, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) southeast of Manila , said police Senior Superintendent Ajiron Ajirim. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the blast, he said.

The island is a stronghold of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels.

Philippine police and U.S. troops who took part in recent counterterrorism exercises were seen in the area shortly after the explosion, reports the AP.

D.M.