Controlled detonation done by Philippine police near US embassy

“The blast you heard was caused by … a controlled detonation. We are trying to identify who left the package at the trash bin,” he said.

However, a police intelligence official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the mobile phone was connected to an 81 mm mortar shell.

“We are still making further investigations to check if the ordnance is live,” the intelligence official told Reuters. He said Islamist militants in central Mindanao, a restive southern province, were known to use such shells to make bombs, similar to one that exploded in Davao City in September.

(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:tri-cityherald.com)