Tag: Islamic State

NCRPO Chief Eleazar: Metro Manila under heightened alert following Basilan blast

(Eagle News) — Metro Manila has been placed under heightened alert following the bombing in Basilan that killed at least 11 people. In a television interview, National Capital Region Police Office chief Guillermo Eleazar clarified, however, that this was merely standard operating procedure, and that there was no imminent threat to the metropolis. “We would like to call (on) the community to be more vigilant to prevent other crime groups from exploiting the situation,” he […]

Trillanes wants Senate to probe why Marawi siege happened; also seeks inquiry into status of city’s rehabilitation

(Eagle News) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is seeking an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the Marawi siege, and into the status of Marawi City’s rehabilitation. Trillanes filed Senate Resolution 743 and Senate Resolution 742 on Wednesday, May 23, exactly a year after members of Maute and the Abu Sayyaf attacked the capital of Lanao del Sur in an alleged bid to establish an Islamic State caliphate. In filing Senate Resolution 743, Trillanes said […]

DFA urges Filipinos in Indonesia to remain vigilant following suicide bombings

(Eagle News) – Filipinos in Indonesia were advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to be vigilant following recent bombings that have rocked the country’s second largest city. In a statement on Tuesday, May 15, the DFA said it has instructed the more than 250 Filipinos in  Surabaya, through the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, to be cautious and to “limit their movement.” The DFA said more than 8,000 Filipinos are working across Indonesia. The […]

DFA: No Filipino hurt in Paris knife attack

(Eagle News) — No Filipino was hurt in the knife attack in Paris, France on Saturday, May 12, that led to the death of one person. This is according to the Department of Foreign Affairs that issued a statement on Monday, May 14. “Ambassador [Theresa] Lazaro said the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack but has not provided evidence to support its claim,” the DFA said. Naturalized Frenchman Khamzat Azimov carried out the […]

PHL condemns Indonesia suicide bombings

(Eagle News) – The Philippines has condemned the suicide bomb attacks at three churches in Surabaya, Indonesia on Sunday, May 13 that killed at least 13 people and wounded dozens. “The Philippines strongly condemns these criminal acts that were carried out against innocent churchgoers,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement. “We join the people of Indonesia in mourning those who lost their lives in the terrorist bombings of several churches in Surabaya […]

2 miyembro ng Rahaj Sulayman Movement na umano’y konektado sa grupong ISIS, arestado

Mar Gabriel Eagle News Service Arestado sa operasyon ng pinagsanib-pwersa ng Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR), Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) at Calabarzon Police ang dalawang hinihinalang miyembro ng Rahaj Sulayman Movement na umano’y konektado sa grupong ISIS Philippines. Kinilala ang dalawang suspek na sina Jimuel Velasco aka Amir at Eddie Boy Alejo Bermejo aka Abdullah. Inaresto ang dalawa sa bisa ng search warrant sa Barangay Mamatid, […]

ISIS recruits members in PHL, says US official

(Eagle News) — The Islamic State (ISIS) is looking for new members to recruit and new safe havens worldwide, according to an official of the US State Department. “ISIS in particular has looked at finding new safe havens in terms of land as well and in that aspect they have looked very strongly at Southeast Asia, in particular Southern Philippines,” US State Department’s Director for the Office of Countering Violent Extremism, Irfan Saeed said in […]

Marawi residents allowed to return to “ground zero”

By Ayee Macaraig Agence France Presse After fleeing for their lives nearly a year ago, some residents of the battle-scarred city of Marawi were allowed back Sunday for the first time — to dig through the rubble that was once their homes. Swathes of the southern city were destroyed in five months of house-to-house fighting between troops and jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group that killed nearly 1,200. The stunned and tearful residents, who once […]

Hero French policeman dies after jihadist shooting spree

by Mathieu Gorse and Katy Lee in Paris Agence France Presse President Emmanuel Macron led tributes Saturday to a French policeman who died after offering himself as a hostage to help end an Islamist attack, becoming the fourth victim of the shooting spree and supermarket siege. Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, 45, was among a group of officers who rushed to the scene in the southwestern town of Trebes on Friday after an attacker claiming allegiance to […]

Suspected IS gunman takes hostages in France

  A gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group fired shots and took hostages at a supermarket in southwestern France on Friday, a local prosecutor said. Security forces were responding to two separate incidents, one at a supermarket in the town of Trebes and the second, a 15-minute drive away, in the town of Carcassonne where a policeman was shot. It was unclear if the two incidents were linked. In Trebes, the man “entered […]

US blacklists Filipino, two others in push against Islamic State finance

The US Treasury on Friday placed three men–including a Filipino—it said were part of the Islamic State’s global financial network on its sanctions blacklist, as it seeks to shut down the flow of funds to the group. The Treasury said Abdulpatta Escalon Abubakar of the Philippines, Yunus Emre Sakarya of Turkey, and Mohamed Mire Ali Yusuf of Somalia all provided financial, material or technological support for the Islamic State group. Abubakar is alleged to have been […]

France hikes defense spending to hit NATO target

by Daphné Benoit Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – France on Wednesday announced plans to boost defense spending by more than 40 percent, bringing it into line with NATO targets after complaints from US President Donald Trump that Europe is not pulling its weight. European NATO members have come under pressure from Trump to relieve the burden on the US, which currently accounts for about 70 percent of combined NATO defense spending. The French government unveiled a bill […]