US fears over ISIS group's Southeast Asia expansion

From Rappler (Aug 26): US fears over ISIS group's Southeast Asia expansion

A senior US counter-terrorism official notes that militants from Southeast Asia fighting with ISIS in Iraq and Syria have been deployed in a unit called the Katibah Nusantara   



Islamic State jihadists (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) are eyeing expansion into Southeast Asia by joining forces with local extremists, a senior US counter-terrorism official warned Friday, August 26.

ISIS has a history of partnering with militant groups around the world, including in Egypt, Libya and Nigeria, and wants to broaden its reach in the region, according to Justin Siberell, acting coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US State Department.
"My understanding is that they have looked at existing groups across the region," Siberell said in a conference call from Washington with Asia-based journalists.

"There have been people that have pledged affiliation and allegiance to ISIS at the group level. We're certainly concerned about that, we're concerned about the rise of new ISIS affiliates and we're working with governments to do what they can to prevent that."

Siberell also noted that militants from Southeast Asia fighting with ISIS in Iraq and Syria have been deployed in a unit called the Katibah Nusantara, and could pose a threat when they eventually return to their home countries.

"We're certainly concerned about ISIS' ability to expand or to establish branches," he said.

There have been only relatively minor attacks and plots blamed on ISIS affiliates in the region, but analysts fear the group could become more effective.

Indonesian police earlier this month arrested 6 suspected militants over a plot to launch a rocket attack on an up-market Singapore waterfront district from the nearby Indonesian island of Batam.

The suspects' alleged leader, Gigih Rahmat Dewa, is accused of planning the attack with Bahrun Naim, a leading Indonesian militant who is believed to be fighting with ISIS in Syria.

In January ISIS-linked militants launched a deadly gun and bomb attack in Jakarta which left 4 attackers and 4 civilians dead.

Singapore on August 19 announced it had detained two men under its tough internal security law after discovering they intended to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS.

Siberell spoke Friday after he traveled to Bali earlier this month for a meeting on preventing the cross-border movements of known or suspected terrorists. He also visited Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore before returning to Washington.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/144293-us-fears-isis-southeast-asia-expansion