New risk level ?

[Immeriswas]

Troops kill Abu who beheaded foreigners

Seems that Abu Sayyaf spreads further north. Maybe I should rearrange my travel plans and head again to Indonesia.

 

[kevin.]

I've seen the same - i head to the Philippines in 7 days but not planning to alter my plans.

 

[cephalopod2]

Thanks for posting. I'm going to link in the earlier Abu Sayyaf thread. One more data point.

From the article:

Targeting foreign tourists
Rami’s group, the source said, planned to kidnap foreign tourists in Loboc, a town in Bohol popular for lunch cruises on a river and sightings of the tarsier, the world’s smallest primate, and in Panglao, a dive site off the main Bohol island popular among Western divers.

Año said Rami’s group planned to strike during the Lenten season, during which tourists flocked to Bohol.

 

[KUFan452]

I'm currently in Negros Oriental. They have stepped up security at tourist places & dive resorts. There were two Navy gun boats at Apo Island yesterday and armed army men guarding the resort beach near Dauin (outside Dumaguete). Although there was a gun fight on northern Bohol, it feels safe on Negros. The government is taking the threats seriously. I am not worried.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I thought I'd read somewhere that Abu-Sayef has been killed?

 

[offfi]

I thought I'd read somewhere that Abu-Sayef has been killed?

Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group.
Abu Rami was one of it's leaders who got killed a few days ago.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Sorry, yes, that's what I meant. The leader of Abu Sayef. I gather he's not the ultimate leader and his death isn't causing disarray?

 

[offfi]

I'm really no expert, but I guess his death is no major loss for them.
If I remember the reports correctly, he died after a failed attack.
As we have seen in the past, terrorist groups are almost impossible to defeat by military action, yet you have to respond to them with adequate force.

I would not worry too much.
Bad things can happen anywhere.
But it is good to take any possible threats into account.

 

[Maverick17]

This is definitely a change from past habits, and is natural to make some more concerned. I don't think I'd change plans if now or close, but I'd certainly look at going further north if I was just now choosing where to go.

Abu Sayyaf operates though seemingly in cells or areas of influence by the separate leaders, so hopefully with this group's leader being killed in the fight, the other groups will stick to the old areas. I would be reassured a bit by security improvements, and also keep yourself aware when out and about, especially at night.

 

[Freewillow]

Extremelly good news, thank you for sharing it .