MANILA - Up to 20 people were wounded when unidentified gunmen attacked a mosque on the restive island of Jolo, the military and witnesses said yesterday.

Villagers were leaving the mosque just a kilometer (less than a mile) away from an army base when two men on a motorcycle indiscriminately opened fire with an assault rifle and pistol on Saturday, the military said.

Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, head of the local anti-terror task force, said at least 10 people were wounded by military count. But an Islamic non-government organization, the Suara Bangsamoro, said it counted up to 20 casualties who were brought to the provincial hospital. "They had just finished prayers when they were attacked in the mosque," Suara Bangsamoro spokeswoman Amira Lidasan said.

Aleo said a manhunt for the perpetrators had been launched, but said the motive for the attack was unknown.

Unlicensed firearms proliferate in Jolo, in the country's southern tip where Muslim militants with links to Al-Qaeda operate and where blood feuds are common among local clans.

US troops are scheduled to arrive on the island next month for large-scale joint anti-terror training with their Filipino counterparts.*AFP

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