As the Philippines battles an insurgent attack on its southern city of Marawi, questions are being asked by the international community. The most prominent is whether the dramatic success of Maute Group rebels marks a new front in the war against the so-called IS.

Joseph Franco of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies asserts that the Maute family first claimed links to IS after it got embroiled in a conflict with Mayor Dimnatang Pansar of the nearby town of Butig over public works contracts. This dispute led to a full-blown rido, or clan war. Franco says that the Mautes used the IS connection mainly to “spook and coerce the Pansars”.

“That tactical use of terrorist imagery took on a life of its own. Now we have this Maute Group, who call themselves IS Ranao,” Franco told Reuters.