(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police on Tuesday, Feb. 15, claimed there was a plan by a Hamas operative to carry out terrorist activities in the Philippines.
Hamas is a militant organization based in the Middle East.
According to the PNP, citing a report from Intelligence Group Director Police Brigadier General Neil Alinsangan, the plot was uncovered based on information by a local contact of the 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.
According to Alinsangan, “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.”
The PNP said the Filipino source, from 2016 to 2018, made trips to Malaysia where he met with Fares Al Shikli to discuss the possibility of staging an attack against Israelis in the country in exchange for financial assistance by Hamas.
“This is a stern warning to all terroristic groups who plan to conduct recruitment and similar activities in the country, we have a way to know you and you cannot do your plans here because the PNP and AFP, through the active support of the community, are working together to preempt your devious plans,” Alinsangan said.
In 2018, a chemist who creates explosives and who was allegedly affiliated with Hamas was arrested in Pampanga.
He was deported to Turkey by the Bureau of Immigration, the PNP said.