(UPDATE) 12 wounded in bomb attack in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least 12 people were wounded this morning after members of breakaway Muslim rebels detonated a homemade bomb they planted along the road in the southern province of Maguindanao, a senior military official said.

General Romeo Gapus, head of the Army's 6th Division, said two Manila-based journalists, six soldiers and four civilians were among the wounded in the bomb explosion around 7:20 a.m. in lower Salbu village in the town of Datu Salibo.

The explosion hit the convoy of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion (MIB) and the journalist vehicle.

Gapuz blamed followers of Ameril Umbra Kato, the founder of Bangsamoro Islsmic Freedom Fighters, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, for the attack.