IS-inspired Militancy in Mindanao Is Far From Over

TODAY

01 June 2017

Jasminder Singh & Muhammad Haziq Jani

As the crisis in Marawi enters its second week, the Philippines’ security forces have regained control of most of the city. But while the battle may soon be over, the war is not.

On May 23, terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), including the Maute Group and the Abu Sayyaf Group, attempted to take control of Marawi. An estimated 60,000 people were displaced, and 100 people have lost their lives. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law.

But Maute and Abu Sayyaf are not the only IS-affiliated terrorist groups in the area; others include the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Katibah al-Muhajir — a terrorist group claiming to consist of Malaysians and Indonesians — and the Jama’at al-Muhajirin wa al-Ansar bi al-Filibin, formed in April 2017 and operating in Davao. They remain a serious security threat.

… Jasminder Singh is a Senior Analyst and Muhammad Haziq Jani a Research Analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

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