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Philippines and the Islamic State

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ISIL insurgency in the Philippines
Part of the Moro conflict, and the Military intervention against ISIL
Date23 July 2014 (2014-07-23) – present
Location
Primarily in Mindanao, Philippines
Status

Ongoing

Belligerents

 Philippines

Supported by:
Non-state supporters:

Foreign supporters:

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[7]
Abu Sayyaf
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
Ansar Khalifa Philippines[8]

Maute group
Commanders and leaders
Philippines Bongbong Marcos
(President of the Philippines; 2022-)
Philippines Rodrigo Duterte
(President of the Philippines; 2016-2022)
Philippines Gilbert Teodoro
Philippines Romeo Brawner Jr.
Philippines Rommel Francisco Marbil

Current leaders
Radullan Sahiron
Esmail Sheikh Abdulmalik(Known as Abu Turaifie) †

Deceased leaders
Isnilon Hapilon †
Omar Maute †
Abdullah Maute †[12]
Ameril Umbra Kato †
Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan †
Units involved

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

United States U.S. special operations forces (technical assistance)[13]		 Military of ISIL
Casualties and losses
Almost 240+ killed Almost 1,680+ killed
165+ civilians dead

The Philippines is one of the state opponents of the militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), more commonly referred to by the local media as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

ISIL maintains operations in the Philippines through local jihadist groups - Maute group, Abu Sayyaf group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Ansar Khalifa Philippines.They follow the school of thought of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab or commonly known as Wahhabism.[14] The groups pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014 or the following years.

ISIL has been linked to increased suicide bombings by Filipino nationals in 2018 and 2019, a method which has been rarely carried out in the Philippines and the few successfully carried out done by foreigners. Filipinos were suspected to be involved in the 2018 Lamitan, 2019 Jolo Cathedral and Indanan bombings.[15]

Main events timeline

[edit]

2014

[edit]

On July 23, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon pledged allegiance to ISIL through a video posted on YouTube.[16] This is an indication of ISIL presence in the Philippines.[17]

2015

[edit]

In April, the Wahhabi Maute group pledged allegiance to ISIL along with the Ansar Khalifa Philippines terrorist organization, vowing to provide support for each other.[18] The Maute Group was a strong manifestation of the rise of family terrorism in the Philippines.[19]

On November 16, When the APEC Summit was to be held in Manila, a video of men in masks with ISIL black flag behind them is posted on Facebook, claiming "ISIL in Mindanao" will attack the summit.[20]

2017

[edit]

May 23

A video discovered on a cellphone seized by AFP during a raid on a safe house in Marawi shows militants including Hapilon and Maute brothers were planning attack on Marawi.[21] The attack was the 4th step for them to gain the approval of the ISIL leadership,"requires the conduct of widespread atrocities and uprisings all across Mindanao."[22]

June 1

Eight foreign militants had been killed in Marawi, five of which they have identified as Malaysian, Indonesian, Saudi Arabian, Yemeni and a Chechen.[23]

October 16

Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute was reportedly killed.[24][25]

October 19

The Malaysian terrorist Mahmud Ahmad who helped finance the Marawi siege and recruit foreign fighters[26] was killed.[27]

2023

[edit]

In September, three farmers were killed in a gun attack in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.[28][29] In December, ISIS claimed responsibility for the Mindanao State University bombing.

ISIL's support

[edit]

In March 2016, training manuals, bandanas with ISIL inscriptions and other documents for militants under the ISIL were recovered after the military captured a Maute group camp, indicating that the group may be trying to link up with ISIL.[30]

On June 21, 2016, ISIL released a video entitled "The Solid Structure" recognized Abu Sayyaf leader Hapilon as the mujahid authorized to lead the jihadists in the Philippines, and designated him as the emir for Southeast Asia. The video also urged aspiring members who can't go to the Middle East to fight for ISIL in the Philippines instead.[31]

In August 2017, another video released by ISIL asks would-be fighters to go to the Philippines, especially the Marawi City where militants are under siege of the government forces.[32]

Filipino members of ISIL

[edit]

Involvement of Filipino citizens in ISIL has been reported as early as 2014.[33] According to the Daily Mail citing undisclosed Kurdish sources that a Filipino national was among the ISIL members who appeared in a beheading video of American aid worker Peter Kassig and 18 Syrian soldiers uploaded in YouTube. The Philippine military said that the report could not be verified and said that there was no ISIL recruitment in the Philippines at that time. The Department of Foreign Affairs during this time has been receiving unverified reports of Filipinos training to fight for ISIL in Syria.[34]

In June 2016, ISIL released a video where three of its members, a Filipino, an Indonesian and a Malaysian urged aspiring members who can't go to the Middle East to fight for ISIL in the Philippines instead. In January 2017, Rappler reports that the Filipino member was identified as Mohammad Reza Kiram, a 21-year old who was the first verified member in ISIL fighting in Syria.[35]

Affiliate groups in the Philippines

[edit]

The following Philippine-based militant groups have pledged allegiance to ISIL since they also followWahhabism.[36][37]

Non-state opponents of ISIL in the Philippines

[edit]

Aside from the Philippine government, ISIL and its affiliate groups in the Philippines has received armed opposition from other local groups in the Philippines.

[edit]
Battle of Marawi.

The following are the list of battle and clashes involving the jihadist groups since they respectively pledged allegiance to ISIS:

[edit]

Public opinion on ISIL

[edit]

In a poll conducted between February 16 to May 8, 2017, the Pew Research Center says that 70% among the Filipinos questioned view ISIL as a major threat to the Philippines ahead of global climate change (65%) and cyberattacks (64%).[39]

Casualties

[edit]

The chart below gives the information of casualties since the jihadist groups respectively pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Year Government forces Civilians Abu Sayyaf Maute Group BIFF
2014 27 killed, in the whole year[41]
2015 44 killed(Mamasapano clash)
  • 7+ dead(December 24)[42]
 133 killed,(only in Sulu) in the whole year[43]
  • 18 killed(Mamasapano clash in January)
  • 139 killed(February 25 – March 22)[44]
  • another 12 killed(March 23 - March 30)[45]
2016
  • 24 killed(in late February)[50]
  • 8 killed(on July 16)[51]
2017
  • 8 dead(January 10)[52]
  • 7 dead(July 30)[53]
  • 9 dead(August 21)[54]
 149 killed? (before May 17)[55] 94 killed?(in the first half of the year)[56]
Battle of Marawi 168 killed 87 dead 978 killed
Total 240+ killed 165+ dead 1681 - 1740+ killed

Note: Some casualties from small-scale conflicts or terrorist incidents are not given.

References

[edit]
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