At least five people have been killed and 144 injured after two bombs exploded in the Philippines.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombs in downtown Zamboanga, but suspicion has fallen on the Muslim guerrilla group Abu Sayyaf, which is allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.
The first blast occurred at a department store, and was followed 30 minutes later by a second explosion at an adjacent shopping complex. Two other bombs were found in the area and detonated by bomb squads.
All shops in the city's commercial centre have closed, and police advised people to stay out of the area, blocking off streets. Trapped employees were later led out one by one, helped by police.
Zamboanga is a predominantly Roman Catholic city of 600,000 residents in the middle of the Philippines' Muslim heartland.
The same city was hit by a bomb blast two weeks ago that killed four people, including a US soldier. Officials blamed that blast on the Muslim guerrilla group Abu Sayyaf.
Philippine officials have linked the Abu Sayyaf to al-Qaeda, citing alleged attempts by Osama bin Laden's lieutenants to provide the guerrillas with training on explosives and weapons handling in past years.
AP