Security forces have tightened their monitoring of local terrorist groups and their activities, especially in Mindanao, on concerns that they might carry out sympathy attacks over the killing of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a US strike in Iraq before the weekend.
The preemptive action was taken upon the orders of top police and military officials following a meeting with President Duterte on Sunday wherein the Commander in Chief voiced his concerns for the safety of Filipinos, not only in Iran and Iraq, but in the entire Middle East region.
The killing of Soleimani, whom the US had blamed for past attacks on its forces and its interests in Iraq and for allegedly plotting another attack, had stoked tension in the Middle East and talks of war between the US and Iran.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos said the military has intensified its intelligence monitoring on local terrorist groups that might “express sympathy to the Iranian cause,” although they were not still seeing any development to this direction.
He said the monitoring of Mindanao-based groups was among the immediate actions that they presented to Duterte who wanted a concrete plan that would ensure the safety of at least 1,000 Filipinos and another 6,000 in Iraq in case the situation worsens.
A news statement issued by the Department of National Defense through its Spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the President has ordered the military to prepare its air and naval assets in order to evacuate and bring home the Filipinos in case hostilities erupt in the Middle East that would endanger their lives.
Santos said that most of the Filipinos in Iran are already married to Iranians.
Soleimani was credited for building, or beefing up, Iranian-backed or allied paramilitary forces in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and even in Gaza, with the groups or their officials having been part of the government in those states.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Officer in Charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said the death of the Iranian general triggered security concerns in the country, especially in Mindanao.
“There are also security concerns, because, of course, there’s sympathy, either by race or ideology, so the PNP is profiling possible threats, possible groups who may take advantage or symphatize,” he said.
“Our intelligence monitoring will be continuous until the problem in Middle East has become clearer a little bit,” he added.
Aside from monitoring local groups, the military has also ordered its defense attaches abroad to keep pace with unfolding events in the Middle East.
Image credits: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP , file