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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP says it foiled attempts to carry out terror attacks vs Westerners in PH

PNP says it foiled attempts to carry out terror attacks vs Westerners in PH

Published Feb 15, 2022 10:40 am

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said its intelligence unit has foiled the attempt to conduct terrorism activities in the country against Westerners and Middle Eastern nationals, particularly Israelis.

Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsagngan, director of the PNP Intelligence Group, said they obtained the information from a local contact of "Hamas", a Middle East-based and a radical Islamic terroristic organization that played a major role in carrying out notorious terror plots against Israelis and Arabs.

“Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as 'Bashir' who was reportedly attempting to establish foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations," Alinsangan said.

“Coordination and information sharing with foreign and local counterparts disclosed that Bashir’s real name is 'Fares Al Shikli' who, allegedly, is the head of Hamas’ Foreign Liaison Section. He was also at the Interpol (International Police) Red Notice and is charged with an Offense of Terrorism Logistic Support," he added.

This is not the first time that Hamas has attempted to stage their activities in the country.

In January 2018, a chemist with knowledge on explosives closely affiliated with Hamas was arrested in Pampanga. He was then deported to Turkey before the Bureau of Immigration.

Alinsangan said their source admitted to making several trips to Malaysia from 2016 to 2018 to meet Fares Al Shikli and discuss the possibility of mounting attacks against Israeli nationals in the country in exchange for financial assistance by Hamas.

It was in 2016 when Fares Al Shikli started grooming him as a local contact in the Philippines and introduced to him theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia.

Late 2017, Fares Al Shikli expressed his intention with the source to recruit Filipinos with links to local threat groups that will be utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at selected embassies and spread a video propaganda in exchange for financial support.

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