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Market bomb kills 3 in Philippines

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(CNN) -- Making good on a threat, insurgents in the southern Philippines on Tuesday bombed a busy public market in the city of Tacurong, killing three and wounding 21 others, police said.

"It is a terrorist attack," said Police Superintendent Joel Limson. "Prior to the incident we received a report that there will be a bomb in the area."

Police lowered an initial death toll of 8. Limson said the attack was not related to mid-term elections slated for Monday.

An explosive device was found last Monday less than a mile (1 km) from the market in Tacurong targeted in Monday's attack. An explosives team succeeded in dismantling it.

Tacurong is on the southern Island of Mindanao, where several Islamic militant groups are active.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila issued a warning on April 19 that "a terrorist group may be planning to carry out bombing attacks in central Mindanao over the next several days."

The embassy urged Americans to take caution.

In January, three explosions in southern and central Mindanao, killing 10 people -- most of them at a public market in General Santos City.

The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia, but its southern islands are home to many Muslims, as well as Muslim insurgent groups who have been fighting the government for decades.

CNN's Kathy Quiano in Jakarta contributed to this report.

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