Isis terror tactics being exported to Southeast Asia, US official says

Isis fighters are not going to Southeast Asia en masse, but the US has seen a rise of Isis-inspired plans, including suicide bombings, in the region

Counterterrorism official Nathan Sales says Washington will target the various flows of terror financing to curb the efforts of terrorists in Southeast Asia

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Debris seen inside a church attacked by two suicide bombers in Sulu, Philippines, on January 27, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:30pm, 23 Nov 2019Updated: 9:52pm, 23 Nov 2019

Islamic State militants are not heading to Southeast Asia “in droves” following the fall of the Caliphate even though the terror group has been encouraging its fighters in Syria to take the fight to other regions, according to the US State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

“We have seen a few indications of an interest in travelling to Southeast Asia, but truth be told, it’s not one of the regions that Isis fighters seem to be heading to in droves,” Nathan Sales told a press briefing in Manila on Friday.

“So far we haven’t seen a huge problem, but we have to make sure we keep it that way,” Sales said. He added that the United States was working with the Philippines to boost cooperation on border security, to prevent people from exploiting the maritime environment to gain access to countries in the region.

However Sales did warn that terrorist tactics from the Middle East, including suicide bombings, were being exported to Southeast Asia via local chapters, or inspiring copycat behaviour from regional groups.

“Increasingly, we are seeing terrorist groups such as Isis [and] al-Qaeda come to rely on regional networks and affiliates around the globe,” Sales said.

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