SYDNEY: Top US and Australian officials on Monday warned battle-hardened and angry foreign fighters may return to Southeast Asia from the Middle East and take up arms in their own countries. The warning follows this weekend’s terror attacks in London, which were claimed by the Islamic State group, and amid a growing jihadist threat in the Philippines. IS fighters will “come back with battlefield skills, they’ll come back with hardened ideology, they’ll come back angry, frustrated, and we need to be very aware of that,” Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne said. Australian officials say they have prevented 12 terror attacks on home soil since 2014 with more than 60 people charged. The US and Australian officials were scheduled to hold a press conference later Monday.

Source: Manila Times June 05, 2017 01:30 UTC