A crude bomb exploded at a video game stall near a market in the southernPhilippines on Thursday, killing three people and wounding 25,the Philippine military said.
The three killed included a child and two adults. Most of the wounded were adults - notchildren, as the military reported earlier - of whom nine arein critical condition.
The home-made device exploded near a public market inKoronadal city on Mindanao island in mid-afternoon, said Lt-ColDaniel Lucero, armed forces public information chief.
At the scene of the blast were scattered goods andvegetables, and one witness said he had seen someone's feetblown off by the explosion.
Lt-Col Lucero said the military was still investigating who mighthave been behind the blast.
The bombing was close to the site of a similar blast in Mayin which the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim rebel group which Washingtonhas linked to the al Qaeda network, claimed responsibility.
Provincial governor Ms Daisy Fuentes said a man seeking toextort money called the mayor of Koronadal prior to the blast.
"This man has introduced himself as Abu Solaiman," Fuentestold local television.
It could not immediately be determined if the caller wasthe Abu Sayyaf leader of the same name, who, along with fourothers, is wanted by the U.S. government for kidnapping itsnationals.
Washington has offered a total bounty of $5million for the capture of Mr Abu Solaiman and four others.