At Least 11 Killed in Explosion During Catholic Mass in Philippines

ISIS claims responsibility for the blast that ripped apart a school gymnasium on the first Sunday of Advent.

Military personnel stand guard at the entrance of a gymnasium while police investigators look for evidence after a bomb attack at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Lanao del sur province, Philippines, on Dec. 3, 2023. Merlyn Manos/AFP via Getty Images

At least 11 people were killed, and dozens more injured in an explosion that occurred during Catholic mass in a university gymnasium in the Philippines on Sunday, according to local authorities.

The blast happened at around 7 a.m. local time at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City just after the first Bible reading during a Catholic mass on the first Sunday of Advent—which signifies the four-week period before Christmas—on Dec. 3.