At least one civilian -- a utility worker -- was killed, while six policemen assigned at the station were hurt, said Chief Inspector Usman S. Pingay, Jolo police chief.

He said the blast from a home-made bomb caused a fire that burned a major section of the building. The adjacent offices, including the town’s cooperative and engineering office, were also severely damaged.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Dolorfino, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said bomb components show the signature of the Abu Sayyaf.

“This is purely a terrorist attack,” he said, when asked if the incident was connected to the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao, or election-related.

The Abu Sayyaf has been resorting to atrocities, from kidnapping to bombing, mainly for extortion. The most recent incident last month in Sulu was when a kidnap group linked to the bandits beheaded its captive after the victim’s family failed to pay ransom. -- Business World