Foreign Office warns over travel to Philippines

The UK Foreign Office has revised its travel advice for the Philippines following reports that a terrorist attack is imminent.

It is warning that there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines, both against Western interests and others.

Terrorists are in the final stages of planning an attack, it says, and attacks could "occur at any time, anywhere in the Philippines".

Philippine authorities are warning against bomb attacks in Manila and other key cities - and 15,000 policemen have reportedly been deployed in malls, churches and other key locations across Manila for Easter.

Little over a month ago, bombs were detonated in Makati, Manila, and General Santos and Davao in Mandano, killing nine people and injuring 130 others.

The Foreign Office advises against all travel to central, southern and western Mindanao, and the Sulu archipelago where military and police operations against terrorist and rebel groups are continuing.

Over 7,000 islands make up the Philippines, which lies off the coast of Vietnam in the South China sea. The main island groups that make up the Philippines are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.