Philippine army says it thwarted a suicide bombing in town in restive south

MANILA (Reuters) - Soldiers in the southern Philippines foiled what the army said on Wednesday was an attempted suicide bombing in an urban area, the latest in a series of attacks blamed on a group aligned with Islamic State.

Troops manning a checkpoint on the island of Jolo engaged in a short gunfight with three men on a motorcycle late on Tuesday afternoon. The attackers were killed and bomb vests, a handgun, a grenade and detonators were seized, the military said.