AFP: No jihadist training camps in Mindanao

THE ARMED Forces of the Philippines yesterday denied the existence of four jihadist training camps in Mindanao allegedly run by Islamic State-linked foreign terrorists.

AFP chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri said the military had not received any report on the supposed jihadist training camps as reported earlier this week.

But Iriberri maintained that there was no credible, direct threat or presence of the extremist Islamic State group in the country.

“As of now, up to this time, we have not received any report pertaining to the existence of four jihadist camps as mentioned in one of the dailies,” Iriberri told a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

The AFP chief was referring to a report in another newspaper the previous day, which claimed that IS-linked foreign terrorists have put up four training camps in the forested ridges of Mindanao.

The camps—located in Sarangani, Cararao in Lanao province, Barangay Tanum in Patikul, Sulu, and Palembang in Sultan Kudarat—are reportedly training Filipino militants to become IS fighters.

The report claimed that the Cararao complex in Lanao was established as a training ground by the Jemaah Islamiyah, in partnership with the Ansarul Khilafah Philippines (AKP) led by Mohammad Jaafar Maguid.

Last week, Philippine Marines killed eight AKP members including Indonesian national Abdul Fatah during an operation to arrest Maguid in Sultan Kudarat.

Speculation arose that the slain suspects were affiliated or members of the IS group after five IS flags were recovered from the site of the encounter.