MANILA - (UPDATE) A woman, suspected to be a bomber, was killed after she allegedly attacked a checkpoint of the Philippine Army in the southern island of Sulu, the military said Sunday.
Maj. Arvin Encinas, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said members of the Army's 35th Infantry Battalion were manning a checkpoint in the town of Indanan at around 5:45 p.m. when a woman approached them.
An explosion happened seconds later. No casualties were reported on the side of the military.
Authorities have yet to identify the slain woman.
Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the suicide bomber was in dressed in an "abaya" and looked foreign based on the recovered remains.
"We assure the public that the WestMinCom forces shall sustain our security and peace efforts to prevent hostile acts that may disrupt the peace and development in the Bangsamoro Region," Sobejana said.
The incident follows an explosion at a public market in the town of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat province, which wounded at least seven on Saturday.
The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the Sultan Kudarat attack.
- With a report from Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News