From ABS-CBN (Dec 8): 6 killed in Cotabato clash
At least six people were killed when suspected guerrillas clashed with armed Christian settlers in the southern Philippines on Tuesday in a feud over land, police said.
At least 30 armed men, suspected to be from a Muslim rebel group, descended on the southern town of Tulunan on Mindanao island and began harassing Christian farmers at noon, said Senior Inspector Ronnie Dillera, the town police chief.
The Christians fought back, triggering a gunbattle that lasted about three hours and left three villagers and three Muslim gunmen dead, he added.
The clash was an offshoot of a dispute over a 10-hectare (25-acre) lot between Christians and Muslims in the area, the police chief added.
Although the Philippines is largely Catholic, there is a significant Muslim minority which counts the southern region as its traditional homeland.
Christian settlement in the south has led to violent clashes with Muslims over the years including a Muslim insurgency that has claimed over 100,000 lives since the 1970s.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/12/08/15/6-killed-in-cotabato-clash
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
ARMM gov't pushes for 'peace zones' via infra projects
From the Philippine Star (Dec 9): ARMM gov't pushes for 'peace zones' via infra projects
Engineers Don Loong (right) and James Mlok of ARMM’s public works department inspect the thickness of concrete poured on a section of a farm-to-market road in the conflict-stricken town of Saidona in Maguindanao. Philstar.com/John Unson
The government is rebuilding into “peace zones” former bastions of extremists groups by concreting farm-to-market roads for rebellious peasants to realize that economic activities are the best antidotes to the innate poverty they so detest.
Even local forces of the ideologically distinct Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which have separate peace compacts with Malacañang, are now helping protect road projects in former bastions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao province, aware it will benefit all sectors.
Among the road projects being implemented now by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) in areas rocked by military-BIFF hostilities early this year is a vital P20 million worth farm-to-market artery linking the Nabundas and Datu Kilay Districts in Saidona town in the second district of Maguindanao.
The road, now being concreted by DPWH-ARMM via the office of engineer James Mlok, chief of Maguindanao’s 2nd District Engineering Office, straddles through oft-flooded spots, impassable during rainy days.
Mlok and ARMM’s regional public works secretary, engineer Don Mustapha Loong, are both optimistic the ongoing concreting of the Nabundas-Datu Kilay road can be completed as scheduled owing to the cooperation of local folks and MILF forces in the area in securing construction workers.
Despite the potentials of the agricultural lands traversed by the road, local peasant families remain impoverished owing to the nagging domestic security problems and the absence of arterial linkages needed to hasten their delivery of farm products to markets in towns nearby.
Among the local MILF leaders helping secure the costly infrastructure projects of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman in Saidona and nearby Datu Piang, Datu Saudi, Mamasapano, Salibo and Mamasapano towns, all in the second district of Maguindanao is cleric Wahid Tundok.
The BIFF once had enclaves in the six towns, where costly infrastructure projects are now being implemented by the Hataman administration in support of the normalization agenda of the ongoing peace overture of President Benigno Aquino III with the MILF.
In Maguindanao’s oldest town, Datu Piang, local members of the MNLF have periodically been displaying force along strategic sections of two roads being concreted by the ARMM government, the Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, to help the police and military ward off saboteurs.
Lekieh Angas, a senior MNLF leader in Datu Piang, said they want the concreting of the two thoroughfares, interconnecting Moro villages to the municipal center, to proceed unhampered by security issues.
The Hataman administration has allocated P180.8 million for the concreting of the Datu Piang Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, drawn from the ARMM’s 2015 infrastructure budget.
“This road concreting thrusts will benefit all people in our municipality. In reciprocation, we will help protect it from people with bad intentions,” Angas said.
He said the road projects will help address poverty and the feeling of neglect among Moro communities, the two most pressing factors that condone rebellion.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530468/armm-govt-pushes-peace-zones-infra-projects
Engineers Don Loong (right) and James Mlok of ARMM’s public works department inspect the thickness of concrete poured on a section of a farm-to-market road in the conflict-stricken town of Saidona in Maguindanao. Philstar.com/John Unson
The government is rebuilding into “peace zones” former bastions of extremists groups by concreting farm-to-market roads for rebellious peasants to realize that economic activities are the best antidotes to the innate poverty they so detest.
Even local forces of the ideologically distinct Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which have separate peace compacts with Malacañang, are now helping protect road projects in former bastions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao province, aware it will benefit all sectors.
Among the road projects being implemented now by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) in areas rocked by military-BIFF hostilities early this year is a vital P20 million worth farm-to-market artery linking the Nabundas and Datu Kilay Districts in Saidona town in the second district of Maguindanao.
The road, now being concreted by DPWH-ARMM via the office of engineer James Mlok, chief of Maguindanao’s 2nd District Engineering Office, straddles through oft-flooded spots, impassable during rainy days.
Mlok and ARMM’s regional public works secretary, engineer Don Mustapha Loong, are both optimistic the ongoing concreting of the Nabundas-Datu Kilay road can be completed as scheduled owing to the cooperation of local folks and MILF forces in the area in securing construction workers.
Despite the potentials of the agricultural lands traversed by the road, local peasant families remain impoverished owing to the nagging domestic security problems and the absence of arterial linkages needed to hasten their delivery of farm products to markets in towns nearby.
Among the local MILF leaders helping secure the costly infrastructure projects of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman in Saidona and nearby Datu Piang, Datu Saudi, Mamasapano, Salibo and Mamasapano towns, all in the second district of Maguindanao is cleric Wahid Tundok.
The BIFF once had enclaves in the six towns, where costly infrastructure projects are now being implemented by the Hataman administration in support of the normalization agenda of the ongoing peace overture of President Benigno Aquino III with the MILF.
In Maguindanao’s oldest town, Datu Piang, local members of the MNLF have periodically been displaying force along strategic sections of two roads being concreted by the ARMM government, the Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, to help the police and military ward off saboteurs.
Lekieh Angas, a senior MNLF leader in Datu Piang, said they want the concreting of the two thoroughfares, interconnecting Moro villages to the municipal center, to proceed unhampered by security issues.
The Hataman administration has allocated P180.8 million for the concreting of the Datu Piang Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, drawn from the ARMM’s 2015 infrastructure budget.
“This road concreting thrusts will benefit all people in our municipality. In reciprocation, we will help protect it from people with bad intentions,” Angas said.
He said the road projects will help address poverty and the feeling of neglect among Moro communities, the two most pressing factors that condone rebellion.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530468/armm-govt-pushes-peace-zones-infra-projects
Gunmen burn P20-M road-building equipment in South Cotabato
From the Philippine Star (Dec 8): Gunmen burn P20-M road-building equipment in South Cotabato
Gunmen set on fire late Monday some P20 million worth of road-building equipment of a firm involved in a road project in South Cotabato’s hinterland Lake Sebu municipality.
The heavily-armed arsonists, some of them wearing ski masks, arrived past 8:00 p.m. Monday at the makeshift equipment depot of the Gemma Construction Company in Barangay Lamfungon west of Lake Sebu, herded workers at one area and burned a bulldozer and two excavator backhoes using kerosene and dry coconut palms.
Mayor Antonio Fungan, chair of the Lake Sebu municipal peace and order council, had told reporters the construction outfit is building a road designed to interconnect peasant enclaves in Barangay Lamfungon.
Barangay Lamfungan is adjacent to mountain ranges where New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas are holding out.
The mayor said local police probers are yet to establish the identities of the gunmen behind the arson attack.
The NPAs in South Cotabato are known for their propensity in sabotaging government infrastructure projects and burning of costly equipment of construction companies if “protection money” is not paid on their behest.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530473/gunmen-burn-p20-m-road-building-equipment-south-cotabato
Gunmen set on fire late Monday some P20 million worth of road-building equipment of a firm involved in a road project in South Cotabato’s hinterland Lake Sebu municipality.
The heavily-armed arsonists, some of them wearing ski masks, arrived past 8:00 p.m. Monday at the makeshift equipment depot of the Gemma Construction Company in Barangay Lamfungon west of Lake Sebu, herded workers at one area and burned a bulldozer and two excavator backhoes using kerosene and dry coconut palms.
Mayor Antonio Fungan, chair of the Lake Sebu municipal peace and order council, had told reporters the construction outfit is building a road designed to interconnect peasant enclaves in Barangay Lamfungon.
Barangay Lamfungan is adjacent to mountain ranges where New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas are holding out.
The mayor said local police probers are yet to establish the identities of the gunmen behind the arson attack.
The NPAs in South Cotabato are known for their propensity in sabotaging government infrastructure projects and burning of costly equipment of construction companies if “protection money” is not paid on their behest.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530473/gunmen-burn-p20-m-road-building-equipment-south-cotabato
CPP leaders’ trial set
From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 8): CPP leaders’ trial set
A Manila regional trial court has set the trial for the murder cases filed against suspected leaders of Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), husband and wife Benito and Wilma Tiamzon tomorrow (Dec. 10) that will include initial presentation of evidence for the prosecution. The hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.
The Tiamzons were arrested in March 2014 in Cebu for cases of multiple murders and frustrated murder.
Authorities say Benito is the chairman of the CPP-NPA while his wife, Wilma is the secretary-general of the group.
The Tiamzons are currently detained at the Camp Crame custodial center.
Manila RTC Branch 32 will hear the murder and frustrated murder charges of the Tiamzons together with other individuals whom Pahilga described as ‘ordinary farmer leaders’ who were dragged into the cases: Dario Tomada, Oscar Belleza, Norberto Murillo, and Bernabe Ocasla who were arrested ahead of the Tiamzons and are detained at the Manila City Jail. Interestingly, the hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.
Militant groups converged at the Manila city hall early yesterday morning and demanded the release of the Tiamzons and other individuals whom they consider as political prisoners.
http://www.mb.com.ph/cpp-leaders-trial-set/
A Manila regional trial court has set the trial for the murder cases filed against suspected leaders of Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), husband and wife Benito and Wilma Tiamzon tomorrow (Dec. 10) that will include initial presentation of evidence for the prosecution. The hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.
The accused couple’s co-counsel, Attorney Jobert Pahilga said experts from the crime laboratory have placed markings on about 60 pieces of bones, skulls included, that were recovered by authorities along with t-shirts, blouses and pieces of underwear in a mass grave that was discovered in 2006 in Inopacan, Leyte.
Authorities say Benito is the chairman of the CPP-NPA while his wife, Wilma is the secretary-general of the group.
The Tiamzons are currently detained at the Camp Crame custodial center.
Manila RTC Branch 32 will hear the murder and frustrated murder charges of the Tiamzons together with other individuals whom Pahilga described as ‘ordinary farmer leaders’ who were dragged into the cases: Dario Tomada, Oscar Belleza, Norberto Murillo, and Bernabe Ocasla who were arrested ahead of the Tiamzons and are detained at the Manila City Jail. Interestingly, the hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.
Militant groups converged at the Manila city hall early yesterday morning and demanded the release of the Tiamzons and other individuals whom they consider as political prisoners.
http://www.mb.com.ph/cpp-leaders-trial-set/
Radical Islam in Asia: The Arc of Al Qaeda and ISIS
From The Diplomat (Dec 8): Radical Islam in Asia: The Arc of Al Qaeda and ISIS (by Mercy A. Kuo and Angelica O. Tang)
Insight from Audrey Kurth Cronin
The Rebalance authors Mercy Kuo and Angie Tang regularly engage subject-matter experts, policy practitioners and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This conversation with Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin – Director of the International Security Program at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, frequent advisor to senior U.S. policymakers, and author of numerous publications, such as How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns and Ending Terrorism: A Strategy for Defeating Al-Qaeda – is the 23rd in The Rebalance Insight Series.
In Foreign Affairs (April 2015), you posited that ISIS is not a terrorist group. Briefly explain the different goals and strategies of Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
ISIS and Al Qaeda both engage in terrorism, have similar long-term goals, and were once aligned, but they differ in key ways that are vital to fighting them. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda generally have only dozens or hundreds of members, attack civilians, do not hold territory and cannot directly confront military forces. ISIS boasts some 30,000 fighters, holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, maintains extensive military capabilities, controls lines of communication, commands infrastructure, funds itself, and engages in sophisticated military operations. It is not a “terrorist group”; it’s a pseudo-state led by a conventional army that also seeks to inspire acts of transnational terrorism.
Al Qaeda thinks of itself as the vanguard of a global movement mobilizing Muslim communities against secular rule. It is playing a long game. The establishment of a so-called caliphate is a distant, almost utopian goal; educating and mobilizing the Muslim community comes first. It seeks to train violent mujahedeen, exclusively men, to act on behalf of that community.
ISIS has already declared a “caliphate” and is attracting a large number of foreigners (men, women and even children), drawn by the potential to build a society that follows strict Muslim rules now. It is unconcerned about popular backlash. Its brutality – videotaped beheadings, mass executions – is designed to intimidate foes and suppress dissent. It appeals to people who are yearning for personal power. It is the most effective employer of targeted social media propaganda we have ever seen.
Is Asia the next theater for ISIS to expand its caliphate beyond the Middle East? If so, what is the strategic relevance of Asia or key Asian regions to ISIS?
No, Africa is the next major theatre for expansion. ISIS has expanded by developing affiliates in North Africa (especially Libya) and West Africa, where Nigeria’s Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to the group.
But there is significant risk to Asia. A global competition is underway in the so-called “jihadist” movement: ISIS are persuading some existing Al Qaeda affiliates or splinter groups to shift their allegiance to them. It’s the current “hot brand.” In Asia, they succeeded in attracting former al-Qaeda-linked affiliates such as the Philippines’ Abu Sayyaf (although that group still pursues its own agenda). According to the head of Indonesia’s national counterterrorism agency, Islamic State may also be training fighters in Poso, a port town on the northeastern coast of Central Sulawesi.
What about the threat of foreign fighters from Asia?
ISIS’ mythical concept of a caliphate has drawn tens of thousands of gullible outsiders, including from Asia. Small numbers of foreign fighters have traveled from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, sometimes bringing along their families. Estimates vary widely; however, the largest numbers apparently come from Australia (between 100-250 people) and Indonesia (between 30-60).
For Asia, the danger lies in what militarily-trained ISIS foreign fighters will do if they return to their native countries, as well as whether those who have been prevented from traveling will carry out attacks at home. A powerful element of the Islamic State’s message is to goad people into violence wherever they are. Unfortunately, terrorist attacks in Asia are virtually inevitable.
What countervailing forces and social conditions in Asia could mitigate ISIS incursions?
In the short term, three things are important. First, countries must strengthen their border controls, increasing both domestic and international cooperation in policing and intelligence. Second, they must increase regional cooperation to counteract ISIS’ financing and the movement of weapons. Third, they must monitor potential risks at home, meaning both returned foreign fighters and those just inspired by ISIS. Although national perspectives can differ markedly (e.g., China’s Uighur problem is as much about a fear of separatism as it is terrorism), there is no substitute for good intelligence and regional cooperation, within the rule of law.
That does not necessarily mean treating returnees as criminals. The “caliphate” is a brutal Wahhabi Sunni Arab empire led by an Iraqi. As the truth unfolds, many foreigners are now trying to flee ISIS. Well-publicized testimonials from defectors could be a powerful counterterrorism tool. Also, efforts to counter ISIS messaging through social media, such as Malaysia’s new counter-messaging center, are vital.
In the longer run, ISIS is trying to polarize societies. Governments must address the conditions that contribute to radicalization, including discrimination, unemployment and ignorance.
What emerging, over-the-horizon challenges of violent radical Islamism in Asia will the next U.S. president likely confront?
The U.S. will be concerned about violence against Americans and American businesses in Asia, a destabilizing blow to an Asian ally or a partner, and the creation of sanctuaries for recruitment or radicalization to violent extremism, including by ISIS. Moving forward, regional efforts such as the recent discussions on extremism held during the ASEAN meetings in Kuala Lumpur and the upcoming January 2016 conference on deradicalization in the ASEAN region will be crucial to reducing the threat of ISIS in Asia for everyone.
[Mercy A. Kuo is an advisory board member of CHINADebate and was previously director of the Southeast Asia Studies and Strategic Asia Programs at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Angie O. Tang is Senior Advisor of Asia Value Advisors, a leading venture philanthropy advisory firm based in Hong Kong.]
http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/radical-islam-in-asia-the-arc-of-al-qaeda-and-isis/
Insight from Audrey Kurth Cronin
The Rebalance authors Mercy Kuo and Angie Tang regularly engage subject-matter experts, policy practitioners and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This conversation with Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin – Director of the International Security Program at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, frequent advisor to senior U.S. policymakers, and author of numerous publications, such as How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns and Ending Terrorism: A Strategy for Defeating Al-Qaeda – is the 23rd in The Rebalance Insight Series.
In Foreign Affairs (April 2015), you posited that ISIS is not a terrorist group. Briefly explain the different goals and strategies of Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
ISIS and Al Qaeda both engage in terrorism, have similar long-term goals, and were once aligned, but they differ in key ways that are vital to fighting them. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda generally have only dozens or hundreds of members, attack civilians, do not hold territory and cannot directly confront military forces. ISIS boasts some 30,000 fighters, holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, maintains extensive military capabilities, controls lines of communication, commands infrastructure, funds itself, and engages in sophisticated military operations. It is not a “terrorist group”; it’s a pseudo-state led by a conventional army that also seeks to inspire acts of transnational terrorism.
Al Qaeda thinks of itself as the vanguard of a global movement mobilizing Muslim communities against secular rule. It is playing a long game. The establishment of a so-called caliphate is a distant, almost utopian goal; educating and mobilizing the Muslim community comes first. It seeks to train violent mujahedeen, exclusively men, to act on behalf of that community.
ISIS has already declared a “caliphate” and is attracting a large number of foreigners (men, women and even children), drawn by the potential to build a society that follows strict Muslim rules now. It is unconcerned about popular backlash. Its brutality – videotaped beheadings, mass executions – is designed to intimidate foes and suppress dissent. It appeals to people who are yearning for personal power. It is the most effective employer of targeted social media propaganda we have ever seen.
Is Asia the next theater for ISIS to expand its caliphate beyond the Middle East? If so, what is the strategic relevance of Asia or key Asian regions to ISIS?
No, Africa is the next major theatre for expansion. ISIS has expanded by developing affiliates in North Africa (especially Libya) and West Africa, where Nigeria’s Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to the group.
But there is significant risk to Asia. A global competition is underway in the so-called “jihadist” movement: ISIS are persuading some existing Al Qaeda affiliates or splinter groups to shift their allegiance to them. It’s the current “hot brand.” In Asia, they succeeded in attracting former al-Qaeda-linked affiliates such as the Philippines’ Abu Sayyaf (although that group still pursues its own agenda). According to the head of Indonesia’s national counterterrorism agency, Islamic State may also be training fighters in Poso, a port town on the northeastern coast of Central Sulawesi.
What about the threat of foreign fighters from Asia?
ISIS’ mythical concept of a caliphate has drawn tens of thousands of gullible outsiders, including from Asia. Small numbers of foreign fighters have traveled from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, sometimes bringing along their families. Estimates vary widely; however, the largest numbers apparently come from Australia (between 100-250 people) and Indonesia (between 30-60).
For Asia, the danger lies in what militarily-trained ISIS foreign fighters will do if they return to their native countries, as well as whether those who have been prevented from traveling will carry out attacks at home. A powerful element of the Islamic State’s message is to goad people into violence wherever they are. Unfortunately, terrorist attacks in Asia are virtually inevitable.
What countervailing forces and social conditions in Asia could mitigate ISIS incursions?
In the short term, three things are important. First, countries must strengthen their border controls, increasing both domestic and international cooperation in policing and intelligence. Second, they must increase regional cooperation to counteract ISIS’ financing and the movement of weapons. Third, they must monitor potential risks at home, meaning both returned foreign fighters and those just inspired by ISIS. Although national perspectives can differ markedly (e.g., China’s Uighur problem is as much about a fear of separatism as it is terrorism), there is no substitute for good intelligence and regional cooperation, within the rule of law.
That does not necessarily mean treating returnees as criminals. The “caliphate” is a brutal Wahhabi Sunni Arab empire led by an Iraqi. As the truth unfolds, many foreigners are now trying to flee ISIS. Well-publicized testimonials from defectors could be a powerful counterterrorism tool. Also, efforts to counter ISIS messaging through social media, such as Malaysia’s new counter-messaging center, are vital.
In the longer run, ISIS is trying to polarize societies. Governments must address the conditions that contribute to radicalization, including discrimination, unemployment and ignorance.
What emerging, over-the-horizon challenges of violent radical Islamism in Asia will the next U.S. president likely confront?
The U.S. will be concerned about violence against Americans and American businesses in Asia, a destabilizing blow to an Asian ally or a partner, and the creation of sanctuaries for recruitment or radicalization to violent extremism, including by ISIS. Moving forward, regional efforts such as the recent discussions on extremism held during the ASEAN meetings in Kuala Lumpur and the upcoming January 2016 conference on deradicalization in the ASEAN region will be crucial to reducing the threat of ISIS in Asia for everyone.
[Mercy A. Kuo is an advisory board member of CHINADebate and was previously director of the Southeast Asia Studies and Strategic Asia Programs at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Angie O. Tang is Senior Advisor of Asia Value Advisors, a leading venture philanthropy advisory firm based in Hong Kong.]
http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/radical-islam-in-asia-the-arc-of-al-qaeda-and-isis/
Army joins Human Rights Consciousness Week commemoration
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Army joins Human Rights Consciousness Week commemoration
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835971
The 8th Infantry Division (8th ID), Philippine Army joined
on Tuesday the commemoration of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week.
The celebration anchored on the theme: “Karapatang Pantao:
Igalang, Ipagtanggol, at Isakatuparan” was spearheaded by Major Gen. Jet B.
Velarmino 8th ID commander.
It was attended by the officers, enlisted personnel and
civilian employees of the Command.
Brig. Gen. Demy Tejares, assistant division commander, 8ID,
PA as Human Rights Officer, led the troops in the reading of Panata sa
Karapatang Pantao during the program.
“As we pursue our sincere commitment, I am very aware and
respectful of the role of every “Stormtroopers” to the society and various
stakeholders’ effort to broaden people’s awareness on their human rights,” Maj.
Gen. Jet B. Velarmino said.
“It is our duty and mandate to protect and put an end to
this impunity and cultivate a culture of respect to human rights in all levels
of our Command,” Velarmino added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835971
Troops arrest ammunition courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Troops arrest ammunition courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835523
Government troops have apprehended an ammunition courier of
the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the province
of Sulu
Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander,
identified the arrested ASG ammunition courier as Makin Mukan, 41, a resident
of Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul, Sulu.
Arrojado said the troops from the Army’s 35th Infantry
Battalion arrested Mukan in a checkpoint around 8:40 a.m. Monday in Barangay
Latih, Patikul.
Arrojado said the troops seized from Mukan six rounds of
caliber 40 millimeter grenade launcher ammunition.
He said the arrest of Mukan came after they received
information that a courier is set to transport ammunition to the ASG in
Patikul.
He said Mukan was detained and coordination has been made
with the police for the filing of appropriate criminal charges against the
latter.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835523
Security guard killed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato town
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Security guard killed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato town
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835538
A private security guard was killed while several village
watchmen were reported wounded in separate attacks by suspected New People’s
Army (NPA) men in a remote village in Lake
Sebu town in South
Cotabato on Monday night.
Lt. Col. Ronald Jess Alcudia, commanding officer of the
Army’s 27th Infantry Batttalion, said Tuesday an undetermined number of rebels
stormed a base of a private construction firm working on a government road
project in Sitio Lamsuging, Barangay Lamfugon in Lake Sebu
He said another group of rebels, who were believed to be
members of the NPA’s Front 73, staged another attack near the site and
“executed” a still unidentified security guard.
Citing reports from the field, he said the rebels initially
attacked the base of the Koronadal City-based Gemma Construction in Sitio
Lamsuging and attempted to burn several stationed heavy equipment.
He said members of Lamfugon’s barangay peacekeeping action
team (BPAT) and several civilian volunteers resisted the attack but were
eventually overpowered after running of ammunition.
The rebels eventually succeeded in torching three heavy
equipment, which comprise two back hoes and a bulldozer, he said.
The official said several BPAT members and barangay tanods
were reportedly wounded in the attack but they were still validating the
matter.
In the second attack, Alcudia said Lake Sebu
He said the incident happened near the boundary of Barangays
Lamfugon and Ned in Lake
Sebu
Town officials reported a second victim resulting from the
attack but was still unconfirmed as of Tuesday morning.
“These are separate attacks and our investigation with the (Lake Sebu
The official said they were specifically determining whether
the attacks were coordinated or staged by a single group.
He declined to give details regarding their
counter-operations but noted that pursuit operations are currently ongoing
against the attackers.
The attack on Monday night was the second since July for
Gemma Construction, which was contracted by the Department of Public Works and
Highways for a road widening project in the area.
The firm’s project engineer was killed in the July incident
that led to the temporary suspension of the project.
The company later agreed three months ago to resume the road
project following the deployment of police and military personnel in the area.
Local residents also volunteered to assist the security
operations to facilitate the project’s completion.
“This is another setback for the project rest assured that
we’re doing everything to address this problem,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835538
3 hurt in N. Cotabato grenade attack
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): 3 hurt in N. Cotabato grenade attack
MATALAM, North Cotabato -- Three persons were hurt before dawn Tuesday at a funeral
parlor along Barangay Kibudoc here.
Chief Insp. Sonny Leoncito, town police chief, identified
the victims as Jeffrey Onoc; 23, Bernie Cristobal, 34; and Benito Samillano,
49; all local residents.
Leoncito said the victims were at the wake of a relative
inside the Collado Funeral Home situated along the area around 1 a.m. when a
lone attacker rolled a fragmentation grenade towards them.
The blast inflicted serious injuries to the victims who were
immediately brought to the hospital.
Leoncito described the incident as an “isolated case” amid rumors
of a terroristic attack perpetrated towards this town.
"The victims had a quarrel with another group a few
hours before the grenade-throwing incident that is why we are eyeing personal
grudge as motive behind the attack,” he said.
Leoncito said his men are still tracking down the group
behind the attack who had fled following the incident.
On Dec. 4, four persons were also hurt in a grenade attack
at the town proper here.
Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 9): Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835902
Police and military forces have launched a joint manhunt
against suspected New Peoples Army (NPA) guerillas who torched three heavy
equipment of a road construction company in an attack that also left two
security guards guards killed and five others wounded.
Supt. Jose Briones, South Cotabato police provincial
director, said pursuit operations are still ongoing in the borders of Lake Sebu
and Surallah towns, both in South Cotabato .
Mayor Antonio Fungan of Lake Sebu
George Cardos, chief security head of Gemma Construction,
said about 20 heavily armed men barged inside the construction site and poured
gasoline on parked heavy equipment then set them on fire.
Cardos said the suspects ordered the security guard to lay
down after disarming them of low caliber firearms and burned the equipment.
Other guerrillas fired at other security guards, leaving
four of them injured. Their guns were taken by the attackers.
Cardos said the armed men were chanting communist slogan as
they leave the area while the two backhoes and a bulldozer were blazing.
The communist guerrillas have been mulcting the construction
company which ignored the demand, he added.
Fungan said Gemma Construction was working on a
nationally-funded road project from Barangay Upper Sepaka, Surallah to Barangay
Lamfugon, Lake Sebu ,
all in South Cotabato .
Clearing operations were still going on with bomb experts
inspecting land mines left by the armed men.
The Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion have deployed government
forces in the construction site to prevent similar attacks in the future.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835902
NPA rebels flee after a 20-minute firefight with Army; leave behind IED in Comval town
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPA rebels flee after a 20-minute firefight with Army; leave behind IED in Comval town
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835715
MAWAB, Compostela Valley Province – The New
Peoples Army’s (NPA) belonging to Guerilla Front 33 of the Southern Mindanao
Regional Committee (SMRC) left behind one AK-47 rifle, one improvised explosive
device (IED), two rifle grenades and six backpacks after a 20-minute firefight
with the government troops on Monday afternoon, here.
In a statement sent by Capt. Rhyan Batchar, chief division
public affairs office of the 10th Infantry Division, the interception of the
firearm and IED is the result of the encounter between the 25th Infantry
Battalion (IB) and the rebel group at the Sitio Bagtok, Brgy San Vicente,
Montevista here.
Batchar further added that the troops acting on the reported
presence of an armed group in the said barangay engaged in a 20-minute
firefight and there was no casualty among the soldiers while the NPAs were
believed to have suffered casualties.
MGen Rafael Valencia, 10ID Commander, lauded the bravery of
the soldiers of 25IB.
"We are committed to serve and secure the people and we
will not hesitate to use legitimate force against the NPAs who use violence to
achieve their discredited political objectives," MGen Valencia
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835715
OPAPP constructs roads worth PHP56M in conflict areas in Mindanao
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): OPAPP constructs roads worth PHP56M in conflict areas in Mindanao
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835759
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
(OPAPP) has constructed farm-to-market roads worth PHP56 million in northern Mindanao ’s conflict areas in 2015.
Lealyn Ramos, regional director of the Department
Agriculture (DA), said the program is carried out through OPAPP's “Payapa at
Masaganang Pamayanan” (PAMANA).
In 2015, PAMANA constructed farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in
the municipal towns of Bacolod
She said the DA is the only implementing agency of the OPAPP
through its peace-building program known as PAMANA.
The road construction project is only one of the OPAPP
projects.
Ramos said OPAPP identifies the possible towns and villages,
which could become the beneficiaries of the PAMANA program.
In 2016, DA-10 is expected to implement a total of PHP63
million worth of FMRs. This time, several villages in Bukidnon and Misamis
Oriental are the recipients of the projects, Ramos said.
PAMANA extends development interventions to inaccessible and
strife-torn communities in the region to make sure that development is not
denied in these areas.
A complementary track to peace negotiations, the program is
anchored on the Aquino administration’s strategy of winning the peace by
forging strategic partnerships with national agencies.
These national and regional agencies promote convergence,
deliver basic services and address regional development challenges in
conflict-affected and vulnerable areas.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835759
Maiden missions of attack AW-109E helicopters likely to be against Abu Sayyaf
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Maiden missions of attack AW-109E helicopters likely to be against Abu Sayyaf
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835610
The newly-acquired AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power"
attack helicopters of the Philippine Air Force could have its baptism of fire
conducting strikes against Abu Sayyaf Group brigands in Mindanao ,
a military official said.
"If the operation will call for it, yes we will do the
same role that the MG-520s (other PAF attack helicopters) are doing in Mindanao ," PAF chief-of-air staff Major Gen. Galileo
Gerard Kintanar said.
The attack aircraft will make their first operational deployment
in Mindanao by second quarter of 2016.
Kintanar said all six newly-commissioned attack helicopters
will be initially based at Danilo Atienza Air Base, Sangley Point, Cavite
Danilo Atienza Air Base is the headquarters of the PAF's
15th Strike Wing, the Air Force's primary ground attack unit.
"Some of them will be deployed in Mindanao .
That is where the aircraft is needed for ISO and hopefully all of them will be
deployed by early 2017, so in 2016 we see the initial deployment of a couple of
them by the second quarter and as we train more pilot to operate and fly them,
all of them will be flying in deployment area by 2017," Kintanar said.
The first PAF attack AW-109s were commissioned last Aug. 17
while the remaining six were formally accepted for PAF service last Dec. 5.
The Philippines
Kintanar said the eight attack AW-109s will remedy the
dwindling number of MG-520 attack helicopters primarily used for close-air
support missions.
"Definitely it will significantly increase our
capability for close-air support as the (PAF) commanding general (Lt. Gen.
Jeffrey Delgado) said we only have a dozen of the MG-520 so this is a welcome
addition of capabilities, what is important is it has more capabilities to
speak of, it will be able to carry more and it can operate at night," he
added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835610
NPA weapons, equipment seized in Compostela Valley clash
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPA weapons, equipment seized in Compostela Valley clash
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835663
Assorted New People's Army (NPA) weaponry were captured
after a 20-minute firefight with 25th Infantry Battalion troopers in
Montevista, Compostela
Valley
In the encounter that took place 2 p.m., an undetermined
number of NPAs were believed to have been wounded and killed, said 10th
Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Rhyan Batchar.
Recovered from the encounter scene were an AK-47 automatic
rifle, an improvised explosive device, two rifle grenades and six backpacks.
Batchar said 25th Infantry Battalion troopers were
conducting security patrols in the area in response to reports of NPA sighting
when the encounter took place.
No government troopers were hurt in the engagement at Sitio
Bagtok, Barangay San Vicente, Montevista, Compostela Valley
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835663
President Aquino renews call for BBL bill approval
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): President Aquino renews call for BBL bill approval
Mindanao .
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835855
President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday met with lawmakers
headed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to reiterate the importance of the
immediate passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
The Chief Executive met with the lawmakers around lunchtime
to urge the latter to "...seize the historic opportunity..." of
enacting the measure and ensure long-term peace in Mindanao, said Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a
statement.
Among those who were present during the meeting are House
Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Cabinet members led by Executive
Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
The PCOO chief said President Aquino stressed the need for
the immediate passage of the measure given higher threats from global terrorism
and radicalization.
"The President urged the members of Congress to rise to
the challenge of being able to “change the narrative”, referring to the cycle
of violence and poverty that has stalled peace and progress in Mindanao ," he said.
Coloma said the President cited the projected gains of the
measure and one of these include giving the people the opportunity to
participate in the democratic process.
"He cited the gains achieved by the ARMM (Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao) in attracting new investments amounting to PhP9.8
billion in the period from 2011 to 2014," he said.
The PCOO chief said the President, during his recent trip to
Vatican and Italy
The proposed BBL was submitted to Congress in September 2014
after representatives of the government’s peace panel and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
(CAB) in March of the same year.
It received flak after the "misencounter" between
members of the police’s elite force and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
members on January 25, 2015, which led to the death of 44 members of the
Special Action Force (SAF).
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835855
8th ID joins commemoration of Nat'l Human Rights Week
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): 8th ID joins commemoration of Nat'l Human Rights Week
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835836
The Catbalogan-based 8th Infantry Division on Monday joined
the rest of nation in the commemoration of National Human Rights Consciousness
Week.
This year's theme is: “Karapatang Pantao: Igalang,
Ipagtanggol, at Isakatuparan”.
Major Gen. Jet B. Velarmino, commander of the 8th Infantry
Division, spearheaded the event which was also attended by the officers,
enlisted personnel and civilian employees of the unit.
Brig. Gen. Demy T. Tejares, 8th Infantry Division assistant
commander, acting as human rights officer, led the troops in the reading of
"Panata sa Karapatang Pantao".
“As we pursue our sincere commitment, I am very aware and
respectful of the role of every 'Stormtroopers' to the society and various
stakeholders’ effort to broaden people’s awareness on their human rights,”
Velarmino said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835836
Six dead as clash erupted between armed farmers in border of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Six dead as clash erupted between armed farmers in border of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&sid=&nid=0&rid=835862
Six persons died on Tuesday after two warring groups engaged
in an intense firefight at the border of this town and adjacent municipality of Columbio
Insp. Rolando Dillera, Tulunan police chief, initially
identified three of the six fatalities as Loloy Lumacad of Barangay Kanebong,
Columbio town; and also Renato Tadiaque and Anthony Camiring, both from
Barangay Maybula, Tulunan.
Responding authorities have also recovered from the
encounter site along Maybula, a farming village here inhabited mostly by
Ilonggos and B’laan natives, three unidentified bodies of Moro farmers who died
during the clash.
Dillera said the conflict was triggered by the stealing at
dawn Tuesday of a carabao owned by a certain Fernandez in Sitio Saban, Maybula,
by two still unidentified minors from adjoining Columbio town.
Fernandez pursued the rowdy juveniles and manhandled them
before taking back his farm animal.
Shortly thereafter, however, a group of Moro natives from
Columbio town attacked him but survived after getting help from other Ilonggo
farmers in the area.
Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, a firefight broke out after armed
Moro natives attacked Maybula village.
As the Maybula clash was raging, an offshoot encounter also
sparked between Ilonggo and Moro natives in Barangay Kanebong of adjacent
Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat province.
Dillera said a deep-seated animosity has long existed
between Ilonggo and Moro farmers in the villages of Maybula and Kanebong, both
situated in the boundary of Tulunan and Columbio towns respectively.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&sid=&nid=0&rid=835862
Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes
From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=835849
Police authorities in Sultan Kudarat and North
Cotabato have conducted a joint operation in hunting down two men
who attacked a farming village in the boundary of two provinces Tuesday.
Sr. Supt. Danny Reyes, Sultan Kudarat provincial police
director, said his office had been coordinating with the office of Sr. Supt.
Alexander Tagum, North Cotabato police director for the deployment of
peacekeepers in the village of Maybula , a border barangay between Tulunan, North Cotabato and Colombio in Sultan Kudarat.
Reyes, citing reports from Colombio PNP, said about 20 armed
men fired at farmers and village watchmen in Sitio Saban, Barangay Maybula,
Tulunan.
The attackers apparently came from Colombio side, he said.
"We are still investigating, we are sending
peacekeepers to prevent similar incidents in the future," Reyes told
reporters.
A Church-run Radio DXND in Kidapawan City
Responding police men also recovered three bodies of the
attackers who were not residents of Barangay Maybula. Village defenders helped
in fighting the attackers until the police arrived.
Reyes said the attacked was triggered by land dispute
involving two groups of farmers claiming ownership of a vast track of lands.
Government agencies were tapped by the local governments of
Tulunan and Colombio to settle amicably the land ownership issue.
The clash also sent about 50 families to abandon their homes
and proceed to the village center of Maybula. It was now clear if there were
evacuees on the side of Colombio town.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=835849
Rebels raid construction site, kill 2 in Southern Philippines
From the Mindanao Examiner (Dec 8): Rebels raid construction site, kill 2 in Southern Philippines
Communist rebels raided a construction firm and killed two security guards and wounded 5 others in South Cotabato province in southern Philippines, police and military said Tuesday.
The attack late Monday on Gemma Construction in the village of Lamfugon in Lake Sebu town also destroyed at least four bulldozers and backhoes.
The gunmen, all members of the New People’s Army, also rigged the area with improvised explosives to delay soldiers and policemen from pursuing them, but armed militias clashed with rebels.
It was unclear if any of the militias or rebels were killed or wounded in the fighting as authorities have to release a detailed report of the daring raid. The company is currently working on a government dam project in the area.
The motive of the raid is unknown, but previous attacks on other companies were due to its failure to pay so-called revolutionary taxes.
There was no immediate statement from the rebel group which is fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a separate Maoist state in the country.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/rebels-raid-construction-site-kill-2-in-southern-philippines/
Communist rebels raided a construction firm and killed two security guards and wounded 5 others in South Cotabato province in southern Philippines, police and military said Tuesday.
The attack late Monday on Gemma Construction in the village of Lamfugon in Lake Sebu town also destroyed at least four bulldozers and backhoes.
The gunmen, all members of the New People’s Army, also rigged the area with improvised explosives to delay soldiers and policemen from pursuing them, but armed militias clashed with rebels.
It was unclear if any of the militias or rebels were killed or wounded in the fighting as authorities have to release a detailed report of the daring raid. The company is currently working on a government dam project in the area.
The motive of the raid is unknown, but previous attacks on other companies were due to its failure to pay so-called revolutionary taxes.
There was no immediate statement from the rebel group which is fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a separate Maoist state in the country.
http://mindanaoexaminer.com/rebels-raid-construction-site-kill-2-in-southern-philippines/
The rapid rise of the death cult of ISIS: How the jihadi extremists are extending their reach by recruiting terror groups in the jungles of South East Asia and forming sleeper cells in Africa
From the Daily Mail (Dec 8): The rapid rise of
the death cult of ISIS: How the jihadi extremists are extending their reach by
recruiting terror groups in the jungles of South East Asia and forming sleeper
cells in Africa
The full scale of Islamic State's influence can today be laid bare as it's revealed dozens of terror groups worldwide have pledged their allegiance to the barbaric extremists.
Many of the rebel groups operating worldwide have sent fighters to battle with ISIS forces (pictured) in theMiddle East , while others
simply operate as a symbolic partner
Africa
South East Asia
Originally emanating fromUzbekistan
and Tajikistan
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3344717/The-rapid-rise-death-cult-ISIS-jihadi-extremists-extending-reach-recruiting-terror-groups-jungles-South-East-Asia-forming-sleeper-cells-Africa.html
In the past
two years, dozens of groups operating across the globe have sworn loyalty to
the barbaric extremists
It includes jihadis in Uzbekistan , the Philippines
and low-lying Russia , while
sleeper cells have been formed in Africa
Many of the groups have been
operating for decades and are responsible for kidnappings, bombings and
extortion
Aside from
their brutality they have one common goal - the establishment of an Islamic
state governed by Sharia law
The full scale of Islamic State's influence can today be laid bare as it's revealed dozens of terror groups worldwide have pledged their allegiance to the barbaric extremists.
From militia
lurking in the jungles of the Philippines
to sleeper cells training in the deserts of Libya
It
is clear the groups have little in common except their desire to establish
their own kingdoms governed by a traditional interpretation of Sharia law. But
they are united by one other common principle - they will do anything to
realise their goals.
Many of the rebel groups operating worldwide have sent fighters to battle with ISIS forces (pictured) in the
In
total, a staggering 42 international rebel groups are believed to have offered
support or pledged affiliation to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
according to the Global Terrorism Index, published last month by the Institute
for Economics and Peace.
Some, such as
Saudi Arabia's Supporters of the Islamic State in the Land of the Two Holy
Mosques, may be little more than rag-tag groupings of people inspired by the
ISIS banner.
But others, such
as Nigeria 's Boko Haram or
the Philippines
The degree to
which these groups are linked to ISIS also
varies - many have little more than an offer of support or symbolic
association. Others are thought to have sent fighters to the Middle
East , or are groups established by the jihadis that essentially
operate as sleeper cells.
Dr Christina
Schori Liang, a senior fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, told
MailOnline ISIS had simply fostered a brand which was so effective other terror
groups wanted to be associated with it.
She said: 'They
appear to others to be very high performance and this increases their
legitimacy. If one market dries up they always have others they fall back upon
and other terrorist groups can see that.
'It offers these
groups global recognition that they are part of one of the most effective
terrorist organisations in the world. It's just the idea that they're part of a
greater social movement.'
Using methods Dr
Liang said were akin to a successful start-up company, ISIS has created its own
markets - such as its illicit oil trade - while also spreading itself further
to tap into other revenue.
Dr Liang said she
feared ISIS and its vast array of affiliates
would soon extend beyond their symbolic and ideological ties to start operating
like a multinational company.
She explained:
'It's kind of like a mafia organisation. Everyone has their own business and if
they co-operate more I can see them extending their businesses to one another -
so it could enrich them even further.
'I think of ISIS as always looking for new markets. They may not
necessarily get into the [other groups'] market, but will take a piece of the
cut.'
ISIS supporters
in Africa include Boko Haram, the deadly Islamic militants operating in Nigeria
Such is the scale
of terror the group inflicts on the country's north-east, Boko Haram was recently
named as the deadliest terror group operating today.
Although this
requires discounting the estimated 20,000 battlefield deaths caused by ISIS , in terms of sheer acts of terror and wholesale
slaughter, the group takes top spot.
Led by the
mysterious Abubakar Shekau, the group pledged allegiance to ISIS in March this year. It has been suggested the brutal
leader died several years ago but his profile is purposely kept alive as part
of the Boko Haram 'brand'.
The group earned
notoriety when it kidnapped several hundred schoolgirls from the city of Chibok
Although the
Nigerian army has this year recaptured much of the territory seized by Boko
Haram in its six-year campaign to carve out an Islamic state, the militants
have recently struck back with a surge of deadly raids and suicide bombings.
Some of its
latest attacks occurred last month when a string of suicide bombers - now
believed to have been children as young as 11 - blew themselves up, killing
more than 40 people.
At the weekend,
three female suicide bombers attacked a busy market on an island in Lake Chad , leaving at least 27 people dead and 90
injured.
A video posted
online in January this year purported to show the leader of Boko Haram,
Abubakar Shekau, issuing a warning to the Cameroon
The group carries
out near-weekly attacks across north-east Nigeria
Boko Haram
received notoriety last year when it kidnapped several hundred schoolgirls
(pictured) from the city of Chibok
Further north,
ISIS-inspired splinter cells have been established in Egypt - where ISIS
claimed to have destroyed the Russian Metrojet airliner over the Sinai
province. Similar operations are thought to be operating in Tunisia , which has suffered three attacks this
year, and Libya
To the east, Sudan 's longstanding Islamic group Al-Attasam
belKetab wa al-Sunna announced in July last year it would endorse ISIS .
The organisation
broke with Sudan ISIS gained in prominence.
However,
ISIS-inspired groups are no longer limited to north African countries. In Mali the rebel group Al-Murabitoon was said to
have declared its support for ISIS in May
2015.
This group was
formed by the fearsome one-eyed Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was
battle-hardened in the wars against the Soviets in Afghanistan
However - there
remains some dispute about the authenticity of its allegiance after its
declaration of support, which consisted of a radio recording, was rejected by
Belmokhtar a few days later.
It is likely
there is a rift within the organisation and Belmokhtar's branch of the jihadis
may still remain loyal to Al-Qaeda. The organisation claimed responsibility for
the Bamako
Just this week, ISIS released a recruitment song in Mandarin aimed at
Chinese nationals. However, it's not entirely clear who the song is directed
at.
Insurgents within
the country's ethnic Uyghur population, who are thought to have joined ISIS in the past and are among the country's
20million-strong Muslim population, do not speak Mandarin.
One of the more
far-reaching groups to join the ISIS ranks in recent months is Abu Sayyaf - a
small, mobile and deadly terror group which has formed a terrifying reputation
within the long-standing Philippines
Active across the
country's south, they are only one of many rebel groups attempting to carve out
an independent Islamic province in the area.
The group is
responsible for atrocities that include kidnapping, rape, extortion and drug
trafficking and murder, and in July last year the group pledged allegiance to ISIS . It, like its Middle Eastern compatriots,
specialises in kidnapping.
Abu Sayyaf
militants are believed to be currently holding nine different hostages,
including a Dutch man kidnapped three years ago, two Malaysians and a town
mayor.
However, unlike ISIS , which routinely kills those it has taken captive,
Abu Sayyaf takes a more practical approach to its kidnappings. They are carried
out purely for financial gain, and the terrorists will happily spend several
years drawing out negotiations in order to secure a ransom.
In 2004, the
group was found to be responsible for the bombing of Superferry 14 - a passenger
ship departing the country's capital of Manila Philippines
Although it has
been classed as a terrorist organisation by a host of Western countries, Abu
Sayyaf treads a fine line between ideological rebellion and criminal
enterprise.
Meanwhile, the
Bangasamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, led by Ameril Umbra Kato, was formed in
2010 when it broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
It too, like a
handful of other groups in the area, wants complete autonomy in the country's
south for a new Islamic state. Its leader and founder Kato died earlier this
year from health-related issues - just months after the central government
launched an operation to arrest him.
They were said to
have pledged support to ISIS in August 2014.
Abu Sayyaf
militants wearing bandannas and camouflage fatigues rest in the jungle armed
with explosives and machine guns
In 2002, Abu
Sayyaf militants took U.S.
missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham hostage from a resort in Palawan , in the country's west. A year later, Filipino
army troops conducted a rescue operation in which Mr Burnham was killed
Members of the
breakaway Muslim separatist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters stand
guard on the southern Philippine island
of Mindanao ISIS in August 2014
The group's
leader and founder Ameril Umbrakato (third from right) died earlier this year
from health-related issues
Mujahideen
Indonesia Timor (pictured), a rebel group operating in Indonesia , is thought to be the first in the
country to swear loyalty to ISIS
Other groups in
the country to have declared support for the Middle Eastern jihadis include
Ansar al-Khilafah in the Philippines
Next door, Indonesia Indonesia 's
first to swear loyalty to ISIS and is
responsible for killing civilians and several of the country's anti-terror
officers.
The third major
terror organisation in the area linked to ISIS
is Jemaah Islamiah - the group responsible for the 2002 Bali Bombings which
killed 202 people.
While it has
refrained from openly swearing loyalty or allegiance to its Middle Eastern
counterparts, authorities believe the two organisations have close links and
there may be up to 200 Indonesian or Malaysian members operating in Syria and
Iraq.
Formed in Malaysia
The Middle East
Unsurprisingly,
ISIS enjoys far reaching support closer to its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq Palestine , Saudi Arabia ,
Yemen , Afghanistan and Pakistan
The strength of
many of these groups is difficult to determine, and some may be small clusters
of ISIS-inspired jihadis, rather than organised terror cells.
However, its
reach also extends much further north - to the lower reaches of Russia , where Islamic insurgencies battling
Putin have switched over to join ISIS 's global
enterprise.
ISIS in the Caucasus Province
was created in June this year and lies in south-west Russia ,
amid a brewing insurgency Putin has battled for years in and around Chechnya
Some have stated
it is no surprise a group has been formed in the region. While it has a history
of Islamic insurgency, ISIS is known to cherish the ferocity of the Chechen
fighters within its ranks and they are considered prized recruits among the battalions
fighting in Syria and Iraq
Similar to some
of the ISIS operations underway in north Africa, it appears to have been
established solely as an ISIS cell and was not
in existence in a different form prior to this.
However, its
leader Rustam Asildarov was recruited from Vilayat Dagestan - a jihadi group
created during the Second Chechen War.
It lays claim to
areas surrounding Dagestan , Georgia and Chechnya ,
as well as a handful of provinces in Russia 's
south that stretch up to Sochi
To its east in
northern Afghanistan and Pakistan
Operating in the
far northern reaches of the countries, and originally emanating from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
But this changed
midway through 2015 when its leadership publicly switched its allegiance to ISIS .
It is the first
Central Asian jihadi group to declare its allegiance to ISIS, though it is not
clear if it is the same group referred to as 'ISIS in the Kohrasan Province
This is the
moment the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, now based around Afghanistan and Pakistan ,
publicly swore allegiance to ISIS
While its
formative years in the 1990s were focused on establishing an Islamic state in Uzbekistan , it has since spread south to combat
Pakistani authorities and Western forces in Afghanistan
The group was
designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S.
It made headlines
after taking a group of Japanese scientists hostage in 1999, and the following
year four U.S.
Since 2012 it has
been headed by Usman Ghazi when he succeeded a commander killed in a US
In recent years
the group has been linked to suicide bombings and several gun battles with
authorities throughout the Central Asia
region, while it also stands accused of drug smuggling. Last year it claimed
responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport
in Pakistan
Early this year,
it released a video showing a beheading. Their victim was believed to have been
one of 31 people they took hostage from a bus in Afghanistan
Groups allied to
the jihadis have also surfaced in the Gaza Strip - where their main target
remains Israel
Compared to many
other organisations, it declared its support for ISIS
relatively early, in February 2014. Six months later, it had been designated a
terrorist organisation by the U.S.
for its rocket and IED attacks on Israel
And in Saudi Arabia , a shadowy group calling itself
Supporters of the Islamic State in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques has sworn
its allegiance to ISIS .
Though Saudi Arabia has been subjected to ISIS-inspired
attacks, it remains unclear how organised the group is, and whether it has
received official backing from ISIS .
Last year the
group claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi
airport in Pakistan
Originally emanating from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3344717/The-rapid-rise-death-cult-ISIS-jihadi-extremists-extending-reach-recruiting-terror-groups-jungles-South-East-Asia-forming-sleeper-cells-Africa.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)