ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 2, 2013) – The United States warned its citizens not to travel to Sulu Archipelago and on Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines due to threats of kidnappings and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism.
The latest travel warning, it said, reflects continuing threats in those areas due to terrorist and insurgent activities.
“U.S. citizens should continue to defer non-essential travel to the Sulu Archipelago, due to the high threat of kidnapping of international travelers and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism there,” the Department of State said.
“U.S. citizens should continue to exercise extreme caution if traveling to the island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines. Throughout Mindanao, criminal groups have clashed sporadically with the Philippine Armed Forces, particularly in rural areas, and terrorist groups have kidnapped international travelers and carried out bombings that have resulted in injuries and deaths,” it added.
It also said U.S. Embassy employees must also have special authorization from Embassy security officials to travel to any location in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers are currently deployed in Sulu and Mindanao where they continue to help the local military in fighting terrorism. Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya members are known to operate along side with the local Abu Sayyaf group and had been linked to the spate of bombings in Mindanao.
The Abu Sayyaf is still holding at least 5 foreigners and two Filipinos kidnapped in southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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