ZAMBOANGA: Two people were killed and 24 injured in a bomb attack on an airport in the southern Philippines, police said Friday.

The man believed to be carrying the bomb was killed instantly and a bystander died later, said Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, police chief of the southern city of Zamboanga where the attack occurred on Thursday.

The suspected attacker carried the bomb into the airport hidden in his backpack, according to security camera footage and eyewitness accounts, said de Ocampo.
"He was the one who carried the bomb pack. We are investigating if he is a suicide bomber," de Ocampo said.

A local politician who was wounded in the explosion said he was the intended target of the attack.

It occurred on the eve of a scheduled visit to Zamboanga by the US ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas, who was set to inspect local projects funded by US aid money.

Thomas immediately cancelled his trip and condemned the attack, while offering US assistance in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Zamboanga is a haven for Muslim militants who have carried out many bombings and kidnappings in the area in recent years.

But authorities said Friday they were yet to determine who was behind the attack.

BDST: 10:11 HRS, August 05, 2010