At least four people, including two soldiers, were killed while dozens were wounded as a home-made bomb exploded in front of a Catholic church in the Muslims-dominating southern Philippines Sunday morning, a local police spokesperson said.

Senior Superintendent Alexander Sarabia said the blast hit the Cotabato Cathedral at around 8:40 a.m. (1240 GMT) when people were coming out of the church after the mass.

Two soldiers and two civilians were killed on the spot while the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, Sarabia said.

Local social workers estimated that around 45 people were wounded.

The authorities did not have any immediate suspects, but Cotabato is the major Muslim city close to the sprawling marsh-land in Maguindanao province, a stronghold of the 11,800-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MILF, the country's largest rebel forces, has been fighting for independence for decades. Its peace talks with the government collapsed in August 2008, followed by the escalation of clashes between the two sides.

Source: Xinhua