The US State Department has renewed a travel warning barring nonessential travel to the Philippines, particularly in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao and neighboring islands of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

Terrorist threat to Americans in the Philippines remains high following reports of alleged links between Southeast Asia terror group Jemaah Islamiyah and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Frontbased in Mindanao, the ABS-CBN online news Tuesday quoted the advisory as saying.

"The Department of State continues to receive information that there may be future bombings in the Philippines, including againstairports, commercial shipping, passenger vessels and seaports," itadded, advising against visiting isolated beach resorts or areas where the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group remains active.

It said American citizens should exercise special caution when traveling throughout the Philippines due to the possibility of armed robberies, kidnappings and armed clashes between the rebel New People's Army (NPA) and government troops in some areas. Americans living in or visiting the Philippines should registerwith the consular section of the US Embassy in Manila, said the advisory, which expires on April 30, 2005.

The United States has branded the alleged Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and the NPA as terrorist groups following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Source: Xinhua >