Jolo blast death toll climbs to 22: military

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The death toll in the twin explosions that rocked a Jolo cathedral on Sunday has risen to 22, authorities said Friday. The latest casualty was 68-year-old Thelma Villanueva, who died in the intensive care unit of the Zamboanga City Medical Center &quot;after [her] family decided to cease life support,&quot; the military&#x27;s Western Mindanao Command said. Two blasts rocked the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo Sunday morning while a mass was ongoing, killing parishioners and state troops. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the military is looking at the involvement of the IS-inspired Abu Sayyaf group. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/28/19/afp-isis-inspired-abu-sayyaf-group-behind-jolo-blast">AFP: ISIS-inspired Abu Sayyaf Group behind Jolo blast</a></li></ul>Investigation showed a woman left one of the bombs near a pew inside the church, but authorities have yet to establish the culprit&#x27;s identity.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/29/19/no-suicide-bomber-woman-left-bomb-inside-jolo-church-military">No suicide bomber&#x27;: Woman left bomb inside Jolo church- military</a></li></ul>Four persons of interest, including the sibling of a slain Abu Sayyaf official, earlier <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/19/4-suspects-in-jolo-blast-under-police-custody">surrendered</a> to government troops to deny their involvement in the bloody incident.The government has launched an all-out war against the Abu Sayaff group in the wake of the attack while the military <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/19/military-calls-for-calm-after-mindanao-church-mosque-blasts">called</a> for calm and public vigilance. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/19/airstrikes-in-sulu-as-troops-mount-all-out-war-vs-abu-sayyaf">Airstrikes in Sulu as troops mount &#x27;all-out war&#x27; vs Abu Sayyaf</a></li></ul><div>- with a report from Chrisel Almonia, ABS-CBN News</div>

The death toll due to twin explosions in a Sulu cathedral earlier this week has risen to 22, authorities said Friday, 5 days after the blast took place during a Sunday mass in Jolo.

The death toll due to twin explosions in a Sulu cathedral earlier this week has risen to 22, authorities said Friday, 5 days after the blast took place during a Sunday mass in Jolo.