The Islamic State has threatened to bomb the 2017 Miss Universe Pageant, scheduled to take place next year in the Philippines. Tourism officials are taking the threat seriously, reported the Times of Israel.
The threat appeared in a video posted on a pro-ISIS social media channel which is tracked by the SITE Intelligence Group. The video apparently included instructions for creating bombs and explosive suicide belts; jihadis suggested the bombs be used to specifically target the Miss Universe Pageant.
“We consider this as serious,” said the country’s tourism department. An intelligence group assigned to the pageant will investigate the threat, said national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos.
The Miss Universe pageant is an annual beauty pageant in which women compete internationally for the Miss Universe title. Over 190 countries hold qualifying pageants for Miss Universe in order to select national delegates. Until last September, when he sold the organization, the pageant’s operating company was owned by Donald Trump.
ISIS has threatened violence throughout the world in its sophisticated social media video propaganda, including population centers in Europe, Israel, the Vatican, and America.
An increasing number of terror attacks committed worldwide are perpetrated by terrorists claiming allegiance to the militant Islamic state.
