US warns of possible terror attack in Manila

MANILA // The United States and Australia have warned of possible terrorist attacks in Manila and the southern Philippines, sparking a security alarm in the bustling capital with additional deployments of police patrols and intelligence agents.

Although the US and Australia have previously issued similar security alerts for the volatile southern Philippines, where Muslim rebels and al Qa'eda militants are active, they specifically mentioned Manila as a possible target in their travel advisories.

The Philippine defence secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the military and police have not monitored any specific threat but that the government is taking no chances.