THE Philippines is among five countries with the highest number of terror attacks recorded in 2016, the US State Department said in a report released Wednesday. It cited the continuing attacks posed by Islamic State-inspired groups as a major contributor to the country’s main national security threats. Presidential Spokeman Ernesto AbellaIn its latest country-by-country assessment, the US State Department designated Iran as the top “state sponsor of terrorism.”The department pinpointed Islamic jihadist groups Islamic State Al Qaida and the Taliban as the leading culprits for terror attacks. The report cited its longstanding support for the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, a US-designated terror organization. “There were dozens of small arms and improvised explosive device attacks, kidnappings for ransom, and extortion efforts,” the report said.

Source: The Standard July 20, 2017 15:56 UTC