The Counter-Terrorism Bureau on Thursday issued a travel warning to Israelis against visiting the southern Philippine area of the Mindanao and Sulu islands due to an immediate threat of terrorism.

Following a situation assessment by the Counter-Terrorism Bureau, a decision made to further raise the severity of the travel warning to the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago group of islands, the Prime Ministers Office said in a statement.

It said the travel warning was at Level 1, the highest on a scale of 4 and indicating a concrete threat.

There is a real and tangible risk to Israelis staying in the area, the statement said and noted the warning was issued due to increased activities by terrorists, and in particular global jihad groups.

In light of the severity of the threat, the recommendation of the CTB to Israelis is to avoid visiting the area of the travel warning, and those who are there to leave immediately.

The CTB also advised Israelis in other areas of the Philippines to stay alert to the possible spillover of terror incidents and to follow the instructions of local security authorities.

In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law across the southern region of Mindanao to crush what he said was a rising threat from the Islamic State group there.

He made the move shortly after militants went on a rampage through the southern city of Marawi, which is about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Manila.

Security forces are still battling the militants in Marawi, and the clashes there have left at least 171 people dead.

Duterte has said he may need to declare martial law across the rest of the country if the terrorism threat spreads.

The violence has left at least 459 people dead, including 336 militants, 84 soldiers and policemen, and 39 civilians. At least eight foreign fighters are believed to be among the dead in the fierce fighting, which has forced more than 300,000 residents of Marawi and nearby towns to flee to safety and turned much of the lakeside city into ghost towns.

After more than a month of offensives, troops have regained 15 of 19 villages besieged by the militants, with fewer than 100 gunmen holding an unspecified number of hostages still putting up a fight, military officials said.

Read the original post:

Israel issues severe travel warning to Philippine islands - The Times of Israel