By Emmanuel Tupas
MANILA, Philippines - Up to 10 foreigners are training with local terrorist groups before joining the Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa revealed yesterday.
“I think there are about five to 10 foreigners who we are monitoring. They have different nationalities,” Dela Rosa said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.
The number does not include Abu Naila, a Sudanese suspected to have had links to the Ansar Al-Khilafa Philippines (AKP). He and a female companion were killed in a raid Saturday in Maasim, Sarangani province.
Police data indicated that Naila was training in the Philippines before his deployment to Syria to join IS extremists.
Aside from AKP, the police are also monitoring the Abu Sayyaf, Maute group and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would be focusing its efforts on neutralizing these groups in the next six months in a bid to stop piracy, kidnappings and bombings in Mindanao.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star