Security experts warn that southern Philippines may become ‘sanctuary’ for IS fighters returning from Middle East
Parts of Southeast Asia have long struggled with Islamic militancy and hundreds of radicals from the region, including from Indonesia and Malaysia, have flocked to join IS in Iraq and Syria
Southeast Asian Islamic State (IS) fighters returning from the Middle East following the group’s setbacks are expected to rebase in the southern Philippines, a security conference heard yesterday.
Instability and the easy flow of weapons have made Mindanao and nearby Philippine islands attractive to extremist groups, said speakers at the Milipol conference on homeland security in Singapore.
IS is moving towards creating a territory in southern Philippines
“Currently, IS is moving towards creating a territory in southern Philippines,” counterterrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna told the conference.
“The most recent communication issued by IS has announced that they have formally declared an East Asia division of IS in the southern Philippines.”
“Our forecast for 2017 is that the threat in this region will grow because of the creation of an IS nucleus in the southern Philippines,” Gunaratna added.
“The instability in the southern Philippines and the availability of weapons, refugee flows ... create the ripe conditions for foreign terrorists to come,” he said after his speech.