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MANILA - Military units in Western Mindanao have been placed on the highest alert status signaling an imminent threat after a blast killed 8 people in Sulu, Friday.

Three soldiers, 3 civilians and 2 suspected bombers were killed in the explosion outside a military camp in Indanan town.

"Nagbigay agad ng standing order ang ating commander ng red alert status at heightened alert ang lahat ng ating mga kasundaluhan," Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Arvin Encinas told DZMM.

(Our commander immediately gave a standing order of a red alert status and heightened alert for our soldiers.)

Authorities have yet to identify the supposed bombers, but initial investigations showed that one of the two men insisted on entering the military camp before the improvised explosive device was detonated.

"Suddenly, he managed na ma-detonate yung IED," Encinas said.

"'Yung [mga sundalo na] kausap mismo nung suspect na may dala [ng IED] 'yung mga namatay," he said.

(The soldiers who were talking to the suspect who was carrying the IED were the ones who died.)

It remains unclear if the man manually detonated the explosive or if it was remotely triggered by someone else, the spokesperson said.

"Hindi pa ma-establish kung suicide bombing," he said.

(We have yet to establish if it was a suicide bombing.)

• 8 killed, 12 wounded in Sulu blast

Metro Manila police have also been ordered to standby for any possible deployment after the incident.

There is no threat in the National Capital Region, but the full alert status was raised as a "proactive" measure in response to the Sulu blast, police chief Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar earlier said.