THE UNITED States, the United Kingdom and Australia on Saturday urged their citizens to take safety measures and avoid crowded areas following the explosion late Friday in a Davao City night market that killed at least 14 and wounded dozens.

In an “Emergency Message for US Citizens,” the US Embassy in Manila reiterated a previous warning of an “ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against United States citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines,” and said it had suspended official travel of embassy personnel to Mindanao.

“The Embassy reminds US citizens of the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling and residing in the Philippines,” it said.

The US Embassy also alerted Americans to the “knock and plead” operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) “at those homes suspected of involvement in illegal drug operations,” including those in residential villages.

“Local PNP leadership has informed the embassy that the village sweeps are intended for the sole purpose of distributing information pamphlets so that residents know who to contact to report crimes or suspicious behavior,” it added.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all but essential travel to Mindanao, and “all travel to south-west Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago because of ongoing terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups.”

“There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. There has been an increase in kidnapping of foreign nationals since late 2015. It’s likely that terrorist groups continue to plan kidnap operations against Western nationals in the region. You should remain vigilant at all times,” the UK warning said.

“You should avoid large crowds and demonstrations and follow the advice of the local authorities,” it added.

Level two

 Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) reminded its citizens of its existing travel alert warning level two on the Philippines.

Level two means there are bigger risks in the location than what would typically be found in a larger Australian city. It may also reflect a weak law and order system or deficiencies in public services.

“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines due to the high threat of a terrorist attack and the high level of crime. You should pay close attention to your personal security at all times,” the department said on its website.

Terror organization Abu Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for the blast, adding that similar attacks should be expected in the coming days in response to the all-out offensive of the military against the group.

“Australians in Davao should exercise heightened vigilance, avoid the affected area and follow the advice of local authorities,” the DFAT said.

The department also advised Australians to “reconsider” the need to travel to eastern Mindanao “due to the very high levels of violent crime and the high threat of terrorist attack and kidnapping.”

It also warned its citizens “not to travel” to central and western Mindanao, including the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Sulu archipelago and the southern Sulu Sea area “due to the very high threat of kidnapping, terrorist attack, violent crime and violent clashes between armed groups.”

Sympathies

 Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely expressed her sympathy to Davaoeños.

“My thoughts are with the people of #Davao. We stand by you. #StayStrongDavao,” she said on Twitter.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop extended her condolences, saying “Australia remains steadfast in our support for the Philippines in response to terrorism, and stands ready to offer any assistance to law enforcement authorities.”

In a statement released by the White House on Friday (Saturday in Manila), the United States expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the Davao City explosion.

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the US “stands ready to provide assistance” to the ongoing investigation.

He added that US President Barack Obama would convey his personal condolences to President Rodrigo Duterte next week, when they meet during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Vientiane, Laos.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg also offered his condolences through Twitter.

“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the explosion in Davao City,” he said. </s> DAVAO BOMBING. An explosion hit a night market in Davao City on September 2, 2016, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 60 others. Photo by Manman Dejeto/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – A number of foreign countries have alerted their citizens not to travel to parts of the Philippines in the wake of the blast in Davao City where at least 14 people were killed and more than 60 others injured.

The United States Embassy has "temporarily suspended all official travel to Mindanao" despite no direct threat against US citizens in the country.

"The Embassy encourages all US citizens to remain vigilant and employ sound personal security measures as you go about your day. The Embassy will continue to monitor the current state of affairs in the Philippines and will release additional messages as needed," it said in its travel advisory.

Canada has also warned its citizens against traveling to Mindanao and Sulu.

"There is no nationwide advisory in effect for the Philippines. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to an ongoing terrorist threat to Westerners and Western interests," said the Canadian government.

The British Embassy, on the other hand, advised against "all but essential" travel to Eastern Mindanao where Davao City is. British citizens are also advised to refrain from traveling to the rest of the island.

"There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. There has been an increase in kidnapping of foreign nationals since late 2015. It's likely that terrorist groups continue to plan kidnap operations against western nationals in the region. You should remain vigilant at all times," said the British Embassy.

Australian citizens traveling to the Philippines are advised to exercise a "high degree of caution" while those going to Eastern Mindanao may "reconsider [their] need to travel." Those heading to Central and Western Mindanao, including the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu area, are advised not to go instead.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans in the Philippines are cautioned to "exercise vigilance, and monitor the local news and instructions of the local authorities." (For updates on the Davao blast, check Rappler's live blog) – Rappler.com </s> (CNN) Three Southeast Asian nations have started trilateral naval patrols in the first concrete sign of cooperation against ISIS-inspired terror groups operating in the region.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will begin joint patrols and information-sharing to curb the influence of local Islamist terror groups, according to a joint statement released by the three governments.

Southeast Asian terror cells aligned with the Iraq- and Syria-based group have been emboldened in recent years, culminating in a month-long battle for the city of Marawi on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines

The Trilateral Maritime Patrol Indomalphi -- whose name incorporates elements of each of the three countries' names -- was "initiated and implemented" by the governments of the "three in order to face the security challenges associated with each country's border waters," according to the statement.

The start of the initiative was marked with a ceremony aboard an Indonesian naval vessel in the Javanese province of North Kalimantan Monday, attended by the defense ministers of the three countries, alongside each nation's armed forces commander.

"The Trilateral Maritime Patrol Indomalphi is a concrete step taken by the three countries ... in maintaining stability in the region in the face of non-traditional real threats such as piracy, kidnapping, terrorism and other transnational crimes in regional waters," the statement said.

To implement the increased intelligence sharing and joint patrols, there will be a Maritime Command Center (MCC) in each nation -- Tarakan in Indonesia, Tawau in Malaysia and Bongao in the Philippines. The maritime patrols will also include air and land elements.

Chief among the issues that the Southeast Asian nations face is the rising threat of local terror groups from the three countries, who use the channels and inlets of the nations' coastlines on the Sulu Sea to move weapons, cash and personnel between the Indonesian island of Java, Malaysia's Sabah province and the Philippines' Mindanao, a large southern island with a large Muslim population and a long history of religiously-motivated separatism.

Kidnappings, especially by Mindanao-based militants of Indonesian nationals, has also been a key issue in moving the initiative forward.

In addition to dozens of Indonesians, mainly fishermen and seamen, kidnapped in the past few years, the Sulu-based faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) recently kidnapped two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Philippines national from a marina in the southern Philippines.

"This is a warning so we can be ready to address this together because there are sleeper cells that are in each of our countries," Indonesian military chief Gen. Gatot Murmatyo said at the ceremony.

"With this trilateral cooperation it will ease the exchange of information because the speed and accuracy of information is very much needed to put in place measures and anticipate the possible escape of (militants) out of Marawi."

Despite the three nations' increasing issues with ISIS-inspired terrorism and their long unguarded coastlines bordering the Sulu Sea, long used for smuggling routes, active cooperation between the countries' governments has been lacking, Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy and Analysis of Conflict told CNN last week.

"Part of the problem is that borders in this archipelago are extremely porous. It's still possible to get in by boat. All three countries -- Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines -- are trying to strengthen their border controls and their immigration checks," the Jakarta-based regional terrorism expert said.

"One thing that's needed is a common watch list so that all three countries are operating from the same information about who may be dangerous. But regional cooperation is improving on that."
In light of the attacks, the governments of Australia, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States issue travel warnings against going to Mindanao, Philippines.