Prague, Sept 5 (CTK) – The Czech Foreign Ministry warns against travelling to some of the Philippine islands in southwest of the country due to escalating conflicts between the government units and terrorists from the Abu Sayyaf group, the ministry has said on its website.
“In view of the declared state of emergency in the country, the Foreign Ministry recommends that people be extremely careful in the Philippines and avoid mass gatherings there,” the ministry said.
It does not recommend travelling to the islands of Basilan, Jolo, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the eastern, Muslim, part of Mindanao Island in the southwest, while the western, Christian, part of Mindanao should be visited only in urgent cases.
The government units have been fighting against the Islamist group Abu Sayyaf in a part of the country for decades.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a new offensive against this group. A week ago, 15 government soldiers were killed in fighting with gunmen on Jolo island. A bomb attack claimed at least 14 lives and injured dozens of people in the town of Davao on Mindanao on Friday.
