Bomb packed with nails kills 1 and wounds 8 others in southern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – A bomb packed with nails for more lethal effect has exploded in a massage parlour in the southern Philippines, killing one person and leaving at least eight wounded, officials said Friday.

Two of the victims of blast late Thursday in the port city of Zamboanga were in critical condition in a hospital, police said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the night-time attack, which damaged the shop and nearby businesses.

Investigators were trying to determine the identity of the attackers. Zamboanga, a bustling city that’s a gateway to many urban centres in the south, has come under bomb attacks by Abu Sayyaf militants in the past.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small but brutal group, which is on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations. It’s notorious for bombings, kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and extortion.

More than a decade of U.S.-backed offensives by Philippine military have weakened the al-Qaida-linked militants but they remain a security concern.