Saudi preacher shot and wounded in Philipines

A Saudi preacher was shot and wounded in a southern Philippine city on Tuesday, police have confirmed.

While Sheikh Ayed al-Qarni is recovering in a hospital with minor injuries, the attacker was shot dead by security forces.

Al-Qarni was in the country attending conference where he was invited to speak.

He posted an image from the conference to his 12.1million Twitter followers moments before the incident took place.

Al-Qarni is a prominent Saudi Islamic preacher and author that does not involve himself in political rhetoric despite his past.

The preacher was arrested for what were seen as dubious assault charges in the 1990s.

Zamboanga is one of the largest cities in the southern Philippines, which has been home to a decades-long separatist rebellion by the mainly Catholic nation's Muslim minority.

Zamboanga has a mixed Christian and Muslim population, and has been a frequent target of attacks by local Muslim militant groups.

One of the nation's main Muslim rebel groups raided the city in 2013, triggering three weeks of clashes with security forces that left more than 200 people dead.