Amid US advisory on Al Qaeda global alert, military says: Don't worry, no threat

From InterAksyon (Aug 4): Amid US advisory on Al Qaeda global alert, military says: Don't worry, no threat

There is no cause for alarm over the global threat advisory issued by the United States government over possible Al Qaeda-initiated terror strikes that may happen within the month, the military said Sunday.

“Locally, we have not monitored threats as high as that (US advisory) but definitely we will be on our toes to prevent any acts of terror to make sure that our citizenry are safe.

Perhaps that Al Qaeda threat may be directed against US citizens. I do not know the basis of their advisory,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan Jr. said.

Al Qaeda has been associated with the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Asia with some JI members operating with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in southern Mindanao particularly in Sulu and Basilan.

“There are connections with the JI and Abu Sayyaf but as far as their capabilities are concerned the latter is more on kidnap-for-ransom activities while the former is involved in training the ASG in the use of explosives. In fact their links is more on resource generation through kidnappings,” Tutaan said.

He said “combat-driven intelligence operations” on the Abu Sayyaf and JI continue relentlessly.

“We have had a lot of arrests in the past, even in the recent past. But then again since they are very much involved in KFR, this is our biggest headache with them,” Tutaan said.

Two Fridays ago on July 26, a powerful bomb exploded in Cagayan de Oro City killing eight and injuring almost four dozen others.

The authorities have not called the incident an act of terror. The police already came out with computer-generated facial images of three unidentified suspects, but no group has come out to claim responsibility for the bombing.

Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II emphasized the need to intensify intelligence-gathering because the police did not have information about the bombing before it happened.

The explosion came about a week of persistent terror advisories from the US, Canada, Australia, among others, for its citizens living and touring in Mindanao.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/67915/amid-us-advisory-on-al-qaeda-global-alert-military-says-dont-worry-no-threat