Picture shown is for illustrative purposes only.

Twin explosions killed at least eleven soldiers and civilians and wounded more than a dozen soldiers in a town on a restive island in the southern Philippines on Monday, media and a military source said.

One blast took place around noon and another followed about an hour later in Jolo, the main town on Jolo island, a militarised stonghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group that has pledged allegiance to Daesh.

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An initial military report said one of the blasts was cased by a homemade bomb on a motorcycle, said an army source, who could not be named because he was not authorised to speak to media. The source said 17 soldiers were wounded.

ABS-CBN news reported that the blasts took place in two separate locations, one of which was close to military vehicles. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Reuters