ZAMBOANGA CITY, Oct 28: At least 10 people were killed on Sunday when a powerful homemade bomb exploded outside a public health centre in a southern Philippine city, the military said.

More than 20 people were wounded in the blast, which tore a hole through the fence wall of the Puericulture Center in Zamboanga City, 875 kilometres south of Manila.

The impact of the blast shattered glass windows of the city’s largest shopping mall, which was located in front of the health centre.

Army Colonel Alexander Yano, head of the city’s anti-terrorism task force, said no suspects have been identified in the bombing, which triggered panic among the residents of Zamboanga City.

“It is too early to conclude who perpetrated this terroristic attack,” he told reporters.

Security at the port city has been tightened since last week when US anti-terrorism experts arrived to assess the military’s campaign against Abu Sayyaf rebels in nearby Basilan island province.

The rebels, who are holding captive an American missionary couple and eight Filipinos, have in the past threatened to sow terror in Zamboanga City in retaliation for the ongoing offensive.

The Abu Sayyaf is the smallest but most violent rebel group in the southern region of Mindanao. It is notorious for bombings, kidnapping-for-ransom and other atrocities.

The rebel group has been linked to Osama bin Laden, wanted by the US for allegedly masterminding the Sept 11 attacks.

Five soldiers killed: Five soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a clash with communist rebels in the southern Philippines, the military said on Sunday.

The soldiers were on patrol when they encountered 40 heavily armed guerrillas in the village of Mabuhay in Bukidnon province, 850 kilometres south of Manila, late Saturday.

According to a military report, the firefight lasted for five hours before the communist rebels withdrew, dragging with them an undetermined number of dead or injured comrades.—dpa