Bomb blast on southern Philippine island kills 2

A military spokesman says a homemade bomb has ripped through a port city on a southern island where al-Qaida-linked militants are active, killing at least two people and wounding 24 others.

Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo says the improvised bomb early Tuesday destroyed a store and shattered nearby establishments in downtown Jolo on Jolo Island, where troops have been fighting Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

Arevalo says two people have been confirmed dead but the number of fatalities is expected to rise because many of the wounded are in critical condition.