The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is validating information that Islamic State (IS) is responsible for the explosion at a gymnasium inside the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City which claimed the lives of four people.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP public affairs office, said the military has already initiated its investigation in coordination with the Philippine National Police to determine the bomb signature used in the blast at the Dimaporo Gymnasium on Sunday, Dec. 3.
He said this would help in identifying the culprits behind the bombing, which occurred during the first Sunday of Advent mass.
"The AFP is validating the claims made by ISIS in the recent news reports as well as the involvement of the DI [Daulah Islamiyah]-Maute Group in this heinous acts of terror," Trinidad said on Monday, Dec. 4.
The AFP has been put on a heightened alert following the incident "to ensure the safety of the public" and track down the perpetrators.
According to reports, Islamic State, also known as IS or ISIS, claimed responsibility for the Marawi bomb attack.
Department of National Defense (DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a press conference on Sunday that there were "strong indications" that a "foreign element" was involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, AFP Chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the explosion could be a retaliatory attack after the military's successive operations against militant group Daulah Islamiyah (DI).
He, however, refused to divulge further information as it may jeopardize ongoing military operations.
IS-linked Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) laid siege in the Islamic City of Marawi in 2017 where thousands of people were killed including civilians.