Army: "Training camps for Islamic extremists in the south of the Philippines"

The alarm was raised by army sources. The groups of Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf are implicated.

Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an extremist Islamic organization is still using the south of the Philippines to train its members despite a drive by separatist Muslims who have joined forces with the government to keep them out.

"The JI is still making use of some Mindanao bases for training activities," military deputy chief Lieutenant-General Samuel Bagasin said yesterday. He said the extremist organisation was operating in the mountainous areas of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao on the main southern island of Mindanao and the nearby small island chains of Basilan and Jolo.

JI members "were recruiting locals' and had "close links with Abu Sayyaf", a local outlawed Muslim group.

Bagasin stressed however that the JI does not have links with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which has signed a ceasefire with the central government.

• PHILIPPINES
• islam
• terrorism
• training
• extremists
• violence
• recruitment