Source: www.persecution.org
Date: December 5, 2023
ISIS-Affiliated Terrorists Bomb Catholic Mass in Mindanao, Philippines
Philippines (International Christian Concern) — On Sunday, Dec. 3, a bomb killed four people and injured 54 others at a Catholic mass service in Marawi, Mindanao, the southernmost region of the Philippines. The bomb exploded during the mass held at a local university gymnasium. Islamic State terrorists quickly took responsibility for this terrible act, claiming retaliation for the 11 militants killed in a military operation on Friday in Maguindanao del Sur.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., president of the Philippines, told the press, “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists. Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society.”
Three women and one man were killed by the impact of the bomb and 50 others were rushed to the hospital for treatment of their wounds. The security chief of the university campus, Taha Mandangan, said, “The explosion caused panic among dozens of worshippers and left the victims bloodied and sprawled on the ground. At least two of the wounded were fighting for their lives.”
Marawai City endured a five-month-long war in 2017 as Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group affiliated with Islamic State, occupied the city, leading to more than 1,000 deaths and more than 400,000 people displaced from the city.
This recent bombing continues the militant and extremist actions of Muslim groups and other separatist factions. Filipino Military Chief Romeo Brawner believed that this bombing was in retaliation to recent military actions in Marawi against Dawlah Islamiya-Maute, another Muslim militant group allied with Abu Sayyaf. Both groups are fighting to establish Marawi and Mindano in general as a “wilayat” under the governance and control of Islamic State and its allies.
While these attacks have remained within the borders of the Philippines, international law is interpreted very strictly in the country, with laws stating that “all intentional attacks directed against religiously affiliated buildings or facilities shall be treated as war crimes or crimes against international humanitarian law” according to the United States Department of State.
We are thankful for the large community of believers who have rallied behind those suffering as a result of the bombing. We pray for continued peace and comfort as the Lord heals the wounds of those struck by terror. We pray that the perpetrators of the violence would come to recognize the gravity of their deeds and have a change of heart.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for healing for those injured in this bombing. Pray for comfort for all those who lost loved ones. Pray for the Islamic State to lose influence in the region.