PNP bares alleged plan of Islamic militant Hamas to sow violence in PH

PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday revealed the alleged plan of an operative of Islamic militant organization Hamas to “establish a foothold” in the Philippines by inciting violence that targets Israelis in the country.

The PNP, citing a report made by Intelligence Group Director Police Brigadier General Neil Alinsangan, revealed that the plot was unveiled through a piece of information revealed by a local contact of a Palestinian-based group in the country.

“Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as ‘Bashir’ who was reportedly attempting to establish a foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations,” Alinsangan said.

“Coordination and information sharing with foreign and local counterparts disclosed that Bashir’s real name is ‘Fares Al Shikli’ who, allegedly, is the head of Hamas’s Foreign Liaison Section. He has also an Interpol Red Notice and is charged with an Offense of Terrorism Logistic Support,” he added.

Authorities, citing the report, revealed that the Filipino source made several trips to Malaysia from 2016 to 2018, where he met “Bashir” to discuss the possibility of staging attacks against Israelis in the country in exchange of financial assistance from Hamas.

“It was in 2016 that Fares Al Shikli started grooming him as a local contact in the Philippines and introduced to him theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia. Late 2017, Fares Al Shikli expressed his intention with the source to recruit Filipinos with links to local threat groups that will be utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at selected embassies and spread video propaganda in exchange of financial support,” the PNP said in the same statement.

INQUIRER.net contacted Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for comment.

It can be recalled that in 2018,  an Iraqi chemist who is allegedly closely affiliated with Hamas was nabbed in Pampanga. He was shortly deported.

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JPV