Three die in Philippines bomb attacks

A trio of bombs jolted the Philippines today, killing at least three people and injuring at least 16 others.

The Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility in a call between the explosions.

One blast, outside a shopping mall in southern General Santos city, could be heard a mile away.

Police said at least three people were killed and at least 15 others were injured.

National police chief Edgar Aglipay said the bomb was believed to have been hidden in a bag at a stand for three-wheel pedi-cabs about 30 yards away from the mall entrance.

Another bomb went off almost simultaneously at a bus terminal in Davao, also in the southern Philippines, and injured one person.

“You can attribute this to us,” an Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Solaiman, said in a call to local radio 20 minutes after the blasts. “There is one more to come.”

The third bombing was reported soon afterward on a bus in the capital Manila

Officials have expressed concerns over the prospect of a terrorist attack in the country’s restive south as the military carries out an all-out assault on Jolo island against a group of gunmen who recently attacked troops in the region, sparking clashes that have killed at least 60.

The gunmen are believed to include followers of jailed Muslim leader Nur Misuari, backed by Abu Sayyaf members.