AFP adapting to security challenges 2 decades after 9/11

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it continues to adapt to the changing security landscape to protect the country from terror threats.

“Two decades since, we continue to adapt to the changing security landscape and as threats evolve, we must also evolve,” AFP spokesperson Army Col. Ramon Zagala said in a statement on Saturday, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States that killed thousands of American civilians.

Zagala added that the incident “has forever changed the security environment, as well as strengthened international cooperation in fighting violent extremism and terrorism.”

He added that the country’s peacebuilding efforts also brought greater trust, respect, and optimism among Filipinos, and part of the AFP’s contribution is to prevent a possible repeat of such an incident.

“We have adopted programs we have learned from our shared experiences that seek to build resilient communities and protect vulnerable sectors,” Zagala said.

The September 11 attacks, commonly known as “9/11”, were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda against the US.

The most prominent attack was conducted against the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, which was struck by two hijacked airplanes in quick succession.