THE Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group is beefing up its external operations wing and courting support in South- east Asia, a security expert said at a counter-terrorism meeting here.

Professor Rohan Gunaratna, who heads Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), told the Global Security Asia conference yesterday that 22 terrorist groups in South-east Asia have pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and are disseminating propaganda in the region in local languages, largely online.

Fighters returning from Syria and Iraq could also link up with terror groups such as Mujahidin Indonesia Timur and Jemaah Islamiah offshoot Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), and pose a continuing threat to the region, he added.