3 suspected ASG suicide bombers killed: Sulu security tightened

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has ordered tighter security in Sulu following the killing of three suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) suicide bombers.

According to AFP Western Command Chief, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, he has tasked all the Joint Task Force under Westmincom to intensify security measures.

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This was to prevent any threat of retaliation by the terrorist group following the deaths of their comrades.

Sobejana said the suicide bombers who were killed in Sulu on Tuesday (Nov. 5) were all foreign members of the ASG sub-group under the leadership of Hatib Sawadjaan.

He said the group’s planned attack was related to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

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PNP, AFP alerted vs. ISIS supporters retaliatory attacks

Last week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were alerted to possible ‘retaliatory attacks’ by allies and supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that could launch terrorist attacks in the country.

This was after the United States President Donald Trump announced that the US Special Forces killed the world’s number 1 and most wanted ISIS founder and leader Bau Bakar Al-Baghdadi.

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US Special Forces launched the raid on the morning of October 27 (local time in northwest Syria), where commandos cornered Baghdadi for an assault operation in a tunnel there.

Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, the AFP Spokesman, said the ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi’s death in the strike operation in Iraq was a big blow against the terrorist group.

“Nananatiling naka­alerto ang ating mga tro­pa para masawata ang anumang tangkang pakikisakay sa pangyayaring ito,” said Arevalo.

(Our troops remain alert to prevent any attempt to take part in this incident.)