JOLO, Philippines, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A bomb on a church rooftop exploded Saturday at a Catholic church on the Philippines' Jolo Island during Christmas services, injuring 11 people, police said.
Police Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz called the 7:15 a.m. bombing an "insensitive and barbaric act," the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
While Cruz wouldn't name any suspects, he referred to the ongoing hostility toward Christians by the Muslim majority on the island.
"Let this incident be a cue to all the faithful, whether Christians or Muslims, or other religions to condemn this and similar dastardly attacks on helpless citizens," he said.
There were around 100 people inside the church when the bomb went off, damaging the ceiling and altar, GMA News said.
The Inquirer said the island is home to an extremist Muslim faction with ties to al-Qaida. U.S. troops have been in place on the southern island since 2002 to train local soldiers and police in anti-terror measures, the newspaper said.
