MANILA (PNA) — U.S. ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas Jr. has postponed his scheduled Friday (August 6) visit to Zamboanga City, following a blast early Thursday night at the Zamboanga International Airport that reportedly killed one person and injured a dozen more, including Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan.

”Knowing that the Philippine National Police is working hard to investigate this tragic incident, and understanding that my visit would require a great deal of security support, I have decided to postpone my travel tomorrow in order to avoid distracting the PNP from their most urgent task of investigating this heinous attack,” Thomas said through the U.S. embassy's deputy press attaché.

The ambassador was to travel to the southwestern Mindanao city with the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Edward Joseph Adams.

He said that on this visit, he was planning to address issues of common concern to the Philippines and the U.S. ”including our joint effort to prevent trafficking-in-persons and our collaboration in the fight against tuberculosis (which) remain priorities on our shared agenda.”

Thomas’s statement to the press did not mention “anti-terrorism” as an issue of planned discussion for the now-aborted Friday meeting.

The visit will be rescheduled “soon,” press officer Wossie Mazengia said.

Zamboanga city is the home base of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, whose key Philippine and U.S. officers Thomas have met on a previous visit.

It is also a major jump-off point and a crossroad for travel to all of Mindanao, particularly to the provinces of Basilan and Sulu.

Muslims and Christians seeking jobs in neighboring countries use this city's exit ports regularly.

Reports reaching the Philippines News Agency from Mindanao are still sketchy, though Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat has confirmed the explosion and its occurrence at the airport’s arrival area at about 6 p.m.

While Lobregat said one person died and 13 were injured, one critically, he mentioned only Tan, who was an arriving passenger, as one of those slightly injured on his rib cage.

Tan said he believes he is one of the targets, but revelation could not be double-checked with authoritative sources.

Lobregat also did not proffer his suspicions of who perpetrated what Thomas himself described as a “heinous,” “tragic” and “brutal” crime.

Thomas expressed the embassy’s condolence to the “innocent deceased and wounded victims of this brutal attack” and praised Zamboanga authorities and the PNP “who moved swiftly to aid persons wounded in the blast,”

Hours after the blast, the extent of which has not yet been officially disclosed, Thomas immediately said the embassy is ready to assist the Philippine Government with whatever it requested “so that those responsible may swiftly be brought to justice.”

As of press time, Philippine officials have not yet reacted to this offer.

The U.S. embassy’s statement in full:

”The U,S, embassy condemns the bombing that took place at the Zamboanga International Airport Airport this afternoon.

Ambassador Thomas said, 'I deplore this heinous crime that victimized ordinary travelers. Our condolences to the innocent deceased and wounded victims of this brutal attack, We would to extend our admiration to local authorities and the Philippine National Police who moved swiftly to aid persons wounded by the blast.'

”The U.S. stands ready to offer any assistance requested by the Philippines authorities so that those responsible may swiftly be brought to justice. The U.S. stands with the Filipino people, who work every day to enhance their peace and security.'

”Thomas added: 'knowing that the PNP is working hard to investigate this tragic incident, and understanding that my visit would require a great deal of security support, I have decided to postpone my travel tomorrow in order to avoid distracting the PNP from their most urgent task of investigating this heinous attack.'

”The issues I planned to address including our joint effort to prevent trafficking in persons and our collaboration in the fight against tuberculosis remain priorities on our shared agenda. I look forward to traveling to Zamboanga soon to reiterate our support of these vital issues.”