A homemade bomb exploded Tuesday in a southern Philippine city leaving at least five people dead and 13 others wounded, police said. The blast occurred along a busy street in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province, some 975 km south of Manila, according to police Inspector Benjamin delos Santos.

Mayor Lino Montilla said initial police reports revealed that the explosion was caused by an "improvised explosive device". According to delos Santos, the improvised explosive device was left in front of a restaurant.

Bomb squad police said a package containing the bomb was left at a billiards hall in the market by a group of unidentified men.

The Mindanao region has long been the target of terrorist attacks. The blast came six days before the Philippines is to hold mid-term elections and two weeks after the US embassy in Manila warned its citizens to avoid going to public areas in Mindanao after it received information of an imminent terrorist threat.

"The embassy has information that a terrorist group may be planning to carry out bombing attacks in central Mindanao over the next several days," the travel warning circulated April 20 said.