Gunmen kill 6 people in southern Philippines. (Hat tip: Ringo.)

MANILA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - At least six people were killed on Friday when gunmen opened fire at a Christian home on a mainly Muslim island in the southern Philippines, an army general said.

Brigadier-General Alexander Aleo, an army commander, said the dawn shooting in Patikul town could be part of fresh efforts to foment Christian-Muslim conflict on the island of Jolo ahead of U.S. counter-terorrism drills late this month.

Aleo said three men, two women and an eight-month-old infant were killed in the attack. Six others, three of them children, survived the shooting with minor injuries.

“We don’t know the motive for the shooting,” Aleo said.

However, one of the victims told soldiers who rushed to the area that the gunmen had asked them whether they were Muslims or Christians before firing their weapons.

More information at AsiaNews.it.