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Philippines: Police Say Suspected Terror Attack Was Actually A Robbery

   DailyWire.com

Early Friday, a gunman armed with a rifle went on a rampage at a casino in Manila, torching gaming tables and shooting his weapon indiscriminately in the enclosed space.

Amid ongoing government clashes with ISIS militants, some suspected the worst, as the incident seemed to have all the hallmarks of terrorism. But police quickly countered that theory, telling reporters that the gunman didn’t intend to kill people. According to police, he wasn’t aiming or shooting his weapon at human beings.

“National police chief Ronald dela Rosa told DZMM radio the lone gunman had not aimed his weapon at people at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex, and robbery could have been the motive,” reports Reuters.

“We are looking into a robbery angle because he did not hurt any people and went straight to the casino chips storage room,” said the police chief. “He parked at the second floor and barged into the casino, shooting large TV screens and poured gasoline on a table setting it on fire.”

Dela Rosa noted that the suspect is “foreign-looking, a Caucasian, about six feet tall.”

The police have now deemed the incident a robbery, dismissing concerns about jihadist infiltration in the capital city.

Before receiving official confirmation, President Donald Trump labeled the incident a terrorist attack.

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with all of those affected,” Trump stated during an event in which he announced America’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accords. “It is really very sad as to what’s going on throughout the world with terror.”

Trump has prematurely labeled fluid security situations as terrorist attacks in the past. More often than not, he’s been right.

No U.S. citizens were involved in the incident, according to police in the Philippines. There were no injuries from gunshot wounds, but the suspect still remains at large.

The alarming incident comes after nearly a week of battle with jihadists in the Philippines. The country is in a heightened state of alert after the military launched airstrikes against ISIS targets last week. Autocratic President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in the hopes of shutting down the Islamist threat before it metastasizes.

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