By Christina Mendez
MANILA, Philippines – Security forces have been placed on full alert a few days ahead of the feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila on the possibility of a terror attack.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno stressed the threat is real, citing reports from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) of possible retaliatory attacks from the Maute group and Ansarul Khilafa, whose founding leader Mohammad Jaafar Maguid was killed during an encounter with police in Sarangani early yesterday.
Sueno revealed the intelligence community has received information that some members of the Maute group are in Metro Manila. He did not elaborate.
He said there was also a possible threat from the Abu Sayyaf, which has been the subject of intensified operations of the military in southern Philippines.
“The threat will come from the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf, mainly the Maute because they are connected with the ISIS,” Sueno said, referring to the Islamic State group by one of its acronyms.
Sueno said the Philippine National Police (PNP) is now on full alert.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star