The appeal of the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS) is gaining ground in the Philippines, particularly among extremist groups in Mindanao, the Anti-Terrorism Council said Thursday.
At a security forum co-organized by the European Union, Assistant Secretary Oscar Valenzuela, executive director of the council's project management committee, said the Philippines was not spared from the "regional spillover" of the international security crisis sparked by IS in the Middle East and spread through social media and the Internet.
The country saw pledges of allegiance to the IS Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by known jihadists in previous months such by members of the Abu Sayyaf group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Abu Sayyaf senior leader Isnilon Hapiton along with some of his men appeared in a video uploaded on YouTube reading a pledge to al-Baghdadi, while BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama confirmed a video showing their members vowing loyalty to the IS.
Valenzuela also noted a show of support by Aleem Jamil Yahyam, chairman of the Bangsamoro Supreme Council of Ulama, to the IS "through prayers."
He said the presence of foreign Islamic preachers may also have security implications in the Philippines, with Australian national Robert Edward "Musa" Cerantonio, an alleged IS preacher, arrested in Cebu in July and Canadian citizen Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips in Davao in September. Philips had denied links with terror groups.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/10/02/1375654/islamic-state-popularity-growing-philippines
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.