Two incendiary devices, which exploded at a Roman Catholic cathedral in southern Philippines on 27 January 2019, killed 20 people and injured dozens more.
Hours after the attack Islamic State (IS) confirmed that they were responsible for the attack on Jolo Island, a place known for activity from several jihadists groups.
Second blast
One suicide bomber initiated the first blast within the cathedral then, while soldiers responded, a second blast was exploded just outside the church entrance some minutes later. A statement from IS said the attack was carried out by ‘two knights of martyrdom’ against a ‘crusader temple’.
Jolo for a long time has been a base for Islamist militants, including around 400 members of the Abu Sayyaf group, one of the smallest but most violent jihadist groups in the Philippines, who have been involved in several terrorists attacks and hostage-taking incidents. The leader of Abu Sayyaf has been declared the leader of the IS group in Philippines. Many different Islamist factions have declared allegiance to IS.
The attack occurred only days after a majority-Muslim area in the region voted for greater autonomy in a referendum. Voters in majority-Muslim areas of southern Philippines approved the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. However, in stark contrast, voters in Sulu province, where Jolo is located, rejected it.
