Two unknown men carried out an attack against a chapel holding a Bible service in Cotabato city, Mindanao region, Philippines, on the 19th of May. They threw a grenade into the chapel, wounding two people. The identities of the attackers are unknown. The police said they identified one of the suspects, but his name has not yet been revealed.

Mindanao region has a long history of religion-based violence. The Muslim-majority region was the scene for fights between Islamic militant groups and the Philippines’s military. In 2018, the largest of the Islamic militant groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, laid down their arms after the government created an autonomous region in Mindanao. Since then, the violence has toned down, but in many cases, the unsatisfied fighters have continued their activities, and many have joined other extremist groups.

In the current case, the police did not reveal if the attackers had any contact with extremist groups. None of the terrorist organisations claimed responsibility for the attack. Both the government and the Catholic Church condemned the attack. Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, the retired archbishop of Cotabato, said :

“The crime is doubly condemnable when committed against neighbours gathered to worship God in a sacred place.” “I call upon our security, military, and investigative forces to ferret out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

The government Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement :

“Let us all work together to prevent such tragedies from happening again, and to help foster a more peaceful, inclusive and harmonious environment that respects the diverse faiths within our communities.”

He also asked the citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to prevent such tragedies.

Source: UCAnews