Philippines and the Islamic State

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 insurgency in the Philippines
Part of the Moro conflict, and the Military intervention against ISIL
Date 23 July 2014 (2014-07-23) – present Location Primarily in Mindanao, Philippines Status Ongoing Martial law declared in the Mindanao region until 31 December 2019.[1][2][3]
Belligerents
Philippines Supported by: Non-state supporters: MNLF MILF[4][5] Foreign supporters:  United States (aid and technical assistance)[6][7]  Australia (intelligence support)[8]  China (military equipment)[9]	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[10] Abu Sayyaf Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters Ansar Khalifa Philippines[11] Maute group
Commanders and leaders
Bongbong Marcos (President of the Philippines; 2022-) Rodrigo Duterte (President of the Philippines; 2016-2022) Gilbert Teodoro Romeo Brawner Jr. 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 Army Philippine Navy Philippine Air Force Philippine Marine Corps Philippine Coast Guard Philippine National Police Special Action Force PNP Maritime Group U.S. special operations forces (technical assistance)[13]	Military of ISIL
Casualties and losses
Almost 240+ killed	Almost 1,680+ killed
165+ civilians dead

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

2014

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

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

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

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

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

• 
  Isnilon Hapilon
  (Abu Sayaf)
• 
  Omar Maute
  (Maute group)
• 
  Abdullah Maute
  (Maute group)

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

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

• Ansar Khalifa Philippines
• Abu Sayyaf
• Maute group
• Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters

Non-state opponents of ISIL in the Philippines

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

• Moro Islamic Liberation Front^[38]
• Moro National Liberation Front

Related clashes

Battle of Marawi.

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

• January 2015 Mamasapano clash
• 2016 Butig clashes
• April 2016 Battle of Tipo-Tipo
• Summer 2016 Sulu and Basilan Clashes
• January 2017 Kidapawan jail siege (suspected involvement)
• May 2017 Bohol clashes
• May 2017 Battle of Marawi

Related terrorist incidents

• 2014 Bukidnon bus bombing (suspected involvement of BIFF)
• 2016 Davao City bombing (suspected involvement of Maute Group)
• 2018 Isulan bombings (suspected involvement of BIFF)
• 2018 Lamitan bombing (suspected involvement of Abu Sayyaf)

Public opinion on ISIL

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

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		21 dead(July 28)[40] 11 dead(2014 Bukidnon bus bombing in December)	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	18+(Battle of Tipo-Tipo in April) 15 killed(in late August)[46]	15 dead(2016 Davao City bombing)	31 killed(Battle of Tipo-Tipo in April)[47] 157 killed(July – December 21)[48]	55 killed(February 2016 Butig clash) 22 killed(May 26 – May 28)[49] 63 killed(November 2016 Butig clash)	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]	15 killed(January 26)[57] 36 killed(April 21 – April 24)[58][59][60]
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

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