The Philippines army said that two women suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on Monday were widows of militants working for the Abu Sayyaf group linked to Islamic State(IS).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twin-explosions-kill-at-least-ten-people-wound-soldiers-in-philippines-322696">Also Read:&nbsp;Twin explosions in Philippines; several dead</a>

The blast which occurred in the southern part of the country killed at last 14 people including soldiers and wounded several others in Jolo island in Sulu province.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, however, Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana identified the woman bombers as Nanah and Inda Nay as the Army chief called for martial law to be imposed in Sulu.

The blast killed eight members of the security forces including six civilians with at least 75 wounded in the attack. General Sobejana said Nanah was the wife of Norman Lasuca and Inda Nay was the wife of Talha Jumsah who was a suicide bomber.

Jumsah was killed by security forces on Jolo in November last year.

Reports say authorities are checking whether Nanah was Indonesian. President Rodrigo Duterte has created a special infantry division to destroy Abu Sayyaf as the terror organization has carried out deadly attacks in the country.

The Philippines army said that two women suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on Monday were widows of militants working for the Abu Sayyaf group linked to Islamic State(IS).

The Philippines army said that two women suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on Monday were widows of militants working for the Abu Sayyaf group linked to Islamic State(IS). Also Read: Twin explosions in Philippines; several dead The blast which occurred in the southern part of the country killed at last 14 people including soldiers and wounded several others in Jolo island in Sulu province. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, however, Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana identified the woman bombers as Nanah and Inda Nay as the Army chief called for martial law to be imposed in Sulu. The blast killed eight members of the security forces including six civilians with at least 75 wounded in the attack. General Sobejana said Nanah was the wife of Norman Lasuca and Inda Nay was the wife of Talha Jumsah who was a suicide bomber. Jumsah was killed by security forces on Jolo in November last year. Reports say authorities are checking whether Nanah was Indonesian. President Rodrigo Duterte has created a special infantry division to destroy Abu Sayyaf as the terror organization has carried out deadly attacks in the country.

Women suicide bombers were widows of militants linked to IS: Philippine army chief

Jakarta banned today any Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines, the transport ministry said, after yet another violent kidnapping in the strife-torn waters between the two nations. 
 
The ruling was issued after the government confirmed seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped at gunpoint earlier this week, and were being held hostage by an unknown group. 
 
It&#39;s the third time this year Indonesian sailors have been abducted in the Sulu sea, a vital waterway that&#39;s seen a spike in seaborne crime like armed robberies and kidnappings. 
 
In response to the latest incident, the transport ministry issued a notice informing all harbour masters they were &quot;strictly prohibited from issuing permits to all Indonesian-flagged vessels bound for the Philippines, without exception&quot;. 
 
&quot;This hijacking issue is a serious matter and cannot be tolerated anymore,&quot; the ministry&#39;s water transport director general A Tonny Budiono said in a statement. 
 
To prevent any commercial vessels from breaching the ban, Indonesia will also ramp up marine patrols in its waters bordering the southern Philippines, Budiono added. 
 
It&#39;s not yet clear how significantly trade will be affected by the ban, but it could severely disrupt the flow of goods from Southeast Asia&#39;s largest economy -- including natural resources like coal -- to the Philippines. 
 
The Sulu and Celebes seas form a key waterway between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and are used for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year. 
 
Last month, the three countries agreed to launch a coordinated patrol of the waters after the recent surge of kidnappings. 
 
The Indonesian sailors abducted this week were towing a coal barge through the Sulu sea when their tugboat was attacked by gunmen. 
 
&quot;The government will do everything possible to free these hostages,&quot; foreign minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. 
 
Sulu, a southern archipelago, is a known hideout of Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants who have earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years. 
 
A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions. 
 
Earlier this year the group kidnapped 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. They were later freed but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid. 
 
(PTI)

Ban comes after gunmen abduct Indonesian sailors in Sulu sea, a hideout of Abu Sayyaf militants known for kidnappings

Jakarta banned today any Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines, the transport ministry said, after yet another violent kidnapping in the strife-torn waters between the two nations. The ruling was issued after the government confirmed seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped at gunpoint earlier this week, and were being held hostage by an unknown group. It's the third time this year Indonesian sailors have been abducted in the Sulu sea, a vital waterway that's seen a spike in seaborne crime like armed robberies and kidnappings. In response to the latest incident, the transport ministry issued a notice informing all harbour masters they were "strictly prohibited from issuing permits to all Indonesian-flagged vessels bound for the Philippines, without exception". "This hijacking issue is a serious matter and cannot be tolerated anymore," the ministry's water transport director general A Tonny Budiono said in a statement. To prevent any commercial vessels from breaching the ban, Indonesia will also ramp up marine patrols in its waters bordering the southern Philippines, Budiono added. It's not yet clear how significantly trade will be affected by the ban, but it could severely disrupt the flow of goods from Southeast Asia's largest economy -- including natural resources like coal -- to the Philippines. The Sulu and Celebes seas form a key waterway between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and are used for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year. Last month, the three countries agreed to launch a coordinated patrol of the waters after the recent surge of kidnappings. The Indonesian sailors abducted this week were towing a coal barge through the Sulu sea when their tugboat was attacked by gunmen. "The government will do everything possible to free these hostages," foreign minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. Sulu, a southern archipelago, is a known hideout of Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants who have earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years. A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions. Earlier this year the group kidnapped 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. They were later freed but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid. (PTI)

Jakarta bans all Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to Philippines

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Women suicide bombers were widows of militants linked to IS: Philippine army chief

Jakarta bans all Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to Philippines