MANILA, Philippines — A senior US Navy official lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for maintaining pressure on Islamic State (IS) militant groups after the siege of Marawi City in 2017. Admiral Philip Davidson, chief the US Navy’s Indo-Pacific Command, said Filipino forces sustained anti-terror operations in Mindanao that have already resulted in a number of arrests since last year. Davidson said the IS claimed credit for multiple small-scale attacks in the Philippines, including a car bomb attack at an Army checkpoint in Basilan last year. Davidson noted the growing influence of the IS in the region. “Over 1,000 foreign terrorists fighters have traveled to Iraq and Syria from Indo-Pacific region, and at least 170 have returned,” Davidson said.

Source: Philippine Star February 14, 2019 16:09 UTC