ISS Risk Special Report - Marawi complex militant attack 6 Jun

**Butig was a Maute stronghold until late 2016
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ISS Risk Special Report:
Update on complex militant attack in Marawi City, Mindanao
Hidden hand of the Islamic State announcing its presence in SE Asia
6 June, 2017

Intelligent Security Solutions Limited Frontier & Emerging Markets Analysis
© ISS Risk 2017 Page | 1
Overview
As we enter the third week of the Marawi City crisis, a thorough examination of the situation
and its implications is called for. The initial information that petered out through military,
government, and media sources proved to be woefully off the mark. As we pointed out in our
initial assessment within the first 24 hours of the crisis, the facts indicated that this incident
was significantly more complex than we were being told. That was a gross understatement.
Now, with two weeks behind us and the crisis continuing onward, the time is ripe to examine
the facts and draw some sound conclusions as to what is happening in the Southern
Philippines.
The realities on the ground show that the organization and coordination behind this incident
developed over a considerable period of time. Contrary to the story put forward by the media,
which was based largely on reports from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), this
incident did not evolve out of a response to the attempted AFP arrest of the militant leader
Isnilon Hapilon. As explained in our initial assessment, the scale of the incident defied such
opportunistic causes; it was simply too organized to have evolved out of a reaction to
circumstances (link1) (link2).
This incident exhibits meticulous planning and preparation, indicating that it was conceived
long before the attack began. The logistics, supply chain, weapons, munitions, food, recces,
tactical deployment of the initial fighters, jail breaks, and reinforcements were all too
coordinated for this not to have been the case. The time spent on each element of the attack
must have required months of detailed planning, extensive intelligence-gathering, and
preparation. This was not an ad hoc incident by any stretch of the imagination.
Importantly, this incident is a clear indicator that the Islamic State has been embraced not
only by militants in the Philippines, but also by those further afield in SE Asia and beyond.
So far, there have been confirmations of participation by foreign fighters from Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya, Pakistan, Turkey, Yemen,
and Morocco. It is plausible – perhaps even expected – that additional foreign fighters will be
identified from yet other countries as the crisis continues to unfold.
This report will examine the sequence of events leading to the incident in Marawi City. It will
then examine the Maute group, covering basic facts such as the organization‟s origins,
structure, and affiliations, before examining military successes that have been won against
the group as well as accumulative losses suffered by the group. It will then provide analysis
into the issue of foreign fighters infiltrating the Philippines over the past 12 months.

The buildup
One prevailing narrative of the events in Marawi City states that President Duterte‟s focus on
his anti-drug campaign somehow allowed a disconnected and dysfunctional rag-tag group of
disparate Islamic militants in Mindanao to group their capabilities under the banner of the
Islamic State and launch an assault to take and hold a provincial city, unnoticed by the
Philippine government and other regional neighbours. While there is clearly a degree of truth
in this perception, the idea that distraction caused by President Duterte‟s anti-drug campaign
is to blame does not fit the facts. The country‟s intelligence services missed what was
emerging under their noses long before Duterte came to power, and their failure to monitor
the inflow of foreign jihadists should be addressed. Quite simply, the government and the
intelligence agencies failed for years to recognize the changes occurring in the southern
region‟s militancy landscape.
The foundations for this change were laid some five or six years prior to the attack. The
government, hyper-focused on the specific threat posed by the Maute Group, failed to
realize that the Maute were not the only risk they faced. As such, initial blame for the Marawi
incident centered on the Maute, but this conclusion is proving to be misguided.
The decision of the previous administration and the new Duterte government to label groups
collectively, such as ASG, as bandits merely cloaked the reality of the transition that was in
play. Maute has been transforming during the past five to six years away from a criminal
terrorist organization into an inspired jihadist group. Whilst ASG drew significant attention,
Maute and several other smaller groups following the same transitional path as Maute had
been laying the foundations for their emergence as a force of change. The group is one of
many operating in Mindanao. The maps below cover the different groups and the areas in
which they have historically operated or held tactical areas of responsibility (TAORs). They
help to demonstrate the longevity and scale of the problem in Mindanao, as well as reinforce
the historical nature of the problem that has been gravely underestimated and has allowed
the current situation to evolve as it has.
Maute Group – Basic facts
 “The Maute Group based in Lanao del Sur has the smartest, best-educated and most
sophisticated members of all of the pro-ISIS groups in the Philippines. It is largely ethnic
Maranao, and its stronghold is Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City, where
it has been able to attract students and teachers. The Maute connections, however,
reach deep into the MILF aristocracy on the one hand and are well-established
internationally on the other, with particularly strong links to Indonesia.” IPAC, Oct 2016,

Report #33.
 The Maute brothers (Omar & Abdullah) were policemen in Manila, became drug dealers,
and then moved into extremism around 2012. Together, they launched Khilafah
Islamiyah Mindanao (KIM), then Maute Group, and subsequently IS in Lanao or IS in
Ranao. Omar is fluent in Indonesian & Arabic, having studied in Egypt. Abdullah also
speaks Arabic and has strong Middle Eastern connections, having studied in Jordan.
 Omar Maute is married to an Indonesian, is fluent in Bahasa, and maintains a large
network throughout Southeast Asia. The Maute brothers‟ father held a senior position in
MILF, but the brothers themselves broke away following disagreements as to the
direction of MILF and its government engagement viewpoint.
Marawi City Attack: Further context
The current Marawi City crisis is not the first such incident involving terrorist organizations
fighting against the AFP. In fact, there is substantial historical precedent for such operations
in recent years. Some examples follow:
 September 2013 Zamboanga City Crisis: In September 2013, a principal Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction under Nur Misuari invaded Zamboanga City,
resulting in 203 deaths (primarily MNLF and AFP). The crisis lasted 20 days, with the
AFP saying that over 500 MNLF fighters had invaded the city. Official figures claimed
that 183 militants were killed and 292 captured. It is fair to say the MNLF attacking force
would have been considerably higher than 500 to have absorbed such losses. In a
parallel attack on September 12-13, the ASG, BIFF and MNLF launched joint attacks on
two days on the city of Lamitan in Basilan).
 February 2016 Butig Clash: In February 2016, the AFP launched an 11-day offensive
against Maute, which had several Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) fighters embedded. The AFP
reported deaths of 54 militants and six of the AFP forces. The clash turned into a full-
blown military operation (aerial bombardment, artillery, ground troops, and use of AFPs).
It had been clear from day one that the AFP took the attack very seriously. On February
20, Indonesian nationals were identified amongst the militant dead.
 September 2016 Davao City Bomb Attack: On September 2, 2016, three Maute
members were arrested in Cotabato following an attack on a night market. They said that
Isnilon Hapilon had ordered the attack, and Maute were assigned to carry it out. A
member of the AKP (Ansarul Khilafa Philippines) was reportedly involved, and a military
source quoted by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said that the

Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were also involved.
 November-December 2016 Butig Attack: Toward the end of 2016, Maute held this
town of 19,300 residents for six days, raising the black flag of ISIS outside its town hall.
AFP said that 61 Maute were killed and 12 wounded. Butig has high historical
importance in the Islamization of Mindanao, and is widely held as the cradle of the
Maranaon civilization, which is the ethnic group most local Maute recruits are drawn from.
The scale of the issue: Tactical Areas of Operation for militant
threat groups
Figure 1: Philippines current terrorism risk

As illustrated in Figure 1, the Philippines‟ highest concentration of terrorism risk is in
Mindanao. While the level of risk is not uniform within each administrative division demarked
in the figure, the empirical evidence clearly identifies concentrations of high risk and large
areas of heightened activity.
Figure 2: Philippines historical terrorism hotspots
In simple terms, non-state actors are behind the violence and risk in the province. Broadly
speaking these actors fall in to three movements:
1. Communist insurgency: A decentralised, nationwide insurgency, which in Mindanao is
prevalent in the eastern, northern and southern divisions and areas of concentrated industry
activity across the mainland. (We shall return to this threat later.) See Figure 3 below.
2. Islamist ‘Moro’ terror groups: These are groups, which are found in the Muslim Moro
areas of the province, the Sulu archipelago and Zamboanga Peninsula, and several areas in

western, central, and southern Mindanao (see Figure 3).
3. Islamic fundamentalist groups: These groups are dotted throughout Mindanao province,
ASG, Ansar Khalifa Philippines (AKP), Maute (Islamic State Lanao), BIFF and al Khobar.
There are two smaller groups – Jund ul –Tawhid (Philippines) and the Rajah Solaiman
Islamic Movement (RSIM), both groups that had pledged allegiance to ISIS by January 2016.
Figure 3: Historical Communist Insurgency Hotspots
Dispersal of the threats
As represented in Figure 1, the highest threat concentration is found in Cotabato (especially
the northern part) and the eastern part of Maguindanao. When this concentration is cross-

referenced to the representation of the group‟s primary tactical areas of responsibility (TAOR)
seen in Figures 4 and 5 below, the inherent complexity of the security landscape owing to
both sheer numbers and overlapping spheres is self-evident.
In this specific area of risk concentration, the multiple Islamist groups (MILF, al Khobar, BIFF
and pockets of MNLF and ASG factions) have historically operated without tactical
cooperation and, at times, shown blatant rivalry. Under this backdrop, the underlying
commonality of purpose has been routinely misread.
Compounding the levels of violence is that, in several areas of central Mindanao, overlap
between the Islamist groups runs parallel to several de-centralised CPP-NPA command
operations. Each of these looks to compete for recruits, as well to justify their existence to
the local populations. For the main part, these groups, at the operational level, display a
complex makeup of religious extremism, political confrontation, terror-criminal territorialism,
and ideological expansion.
Figure 4: Primary Tactical Areas of Operation (TAOR) by group, 2016-17
As ISS Risk has examined, historically, the evolving levels of cooperation between groups
which have similarly pledged allegiance to ISIS (such as ASG‟s Basilan faction with Maute
Group, KIM and BIFF) have been apparent at the operational level since late 2015.

Yet in the main, these groups‟ actions and operations lend themselves to being categorised
as a complex made up of criminal territorialism, ideological expansion, religious extremism
and political confrontation. While they all espouse an Islamic orientation and aspiration, in
reality, they were historically disjointed and predisposed to indigenous requirements and
competition for funding channels. As recent events show, however, this does not to take
away from the shifting emphasis of the Islamic groups to a consolidated ideological and
ultimately cohesive approach to their aspirations.
Yet, as much as ethnic lines can be a root for collaboration especially if meaningful common
denominators to actions are present (examples: the intensification of AFP campaigns in
Mindanao since mid-2016, pledging to ISIS and recognising Hapilon as emir), rivalries can
also be continually reinforced. The rivalry between the two largest Muslim armed groups in
Mindanao, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), has severely impeded the overall peace process for the region. However, the
differences are more territorial- and legitimacy-based than ideological.
Figure 5: Highest concentrations of Muslim ethnic groups in Mindanao and the Sulu
Archipelago
[Ref: Birte Brecht-Drouart, 2011]

With the recent engagement of MNLF assistance in supressing Maute and foreign fighters in
Marawi, that ideological aspect may take on a new emphasis. MILF have been notably quiet
in their response to this marriage of convenience. Similarly, with the MNLF – MILF rivalries
impacting the ARMM (see Figure 6) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region framework and
transition, internal rivalries within the CPP-NPA have done much in 2017 to affect repeated
stops-and-starts in the ceasefire and road to the peace process. The unpredictability of
Duterte‟s current strategy does little to assuage the concerns about implementation of the
ARMM. This adds to the prospect for increased violence.
Figure 6: ARMM and proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region
Critical observations
The Marawi incident should serve as a wake-up call not just to the government of the
Philippines, but to regional governments across Asia.
This incident is the result of months of planning with clear and unambiguous objectives. This
brings to light the following:
 Maute is clearly stronger than has ever been acknowledged by the Philippines security
services and government.
 There are many more foreign fighters in the country than was previously believed.

 ISIS is now undeniably far more advanced in Southeast Asia than previously recognised.
 Mindanao is the Fergana Valley of Southeast Asia.
 The Philippines unquestionably acts as an operational and logistics hub for ISIS in
Southeast Asia.
 Therefore, the following must be taken seriously:
 Bangladesh acting as a bridgehead between South and South East Asia.
 Malaysia acting as a financial and logistical support hub in SE Asia.
 Indonesia acting as an ideological and operational hub in SE Asia.
 Afghanistan still serves as a combat experience / operational hub.
 The question of how advanced ISIS is toward its virtual caliphate‟s achievement in the
Philippines is now abundantly apparent.
It is worth noting that the Philippines’ geographical proximity and shared maritime
routes with Malaysia and Indonesia present it as the perfect springboard for Jihadists
regionally. Coupled with the fact that the Philippines have a far less effective
intelligence and security apparatus than other regional neighbours dedicated towards
their extremist problem, the ripple effect across Southeast Asia is painfully clear.
Possible developments
The fact that the AFP have been caught so off-guard by the scale and ferocity of the
militants is indicative of a lethargic attitude towards this entire problem, but this problem is
not restricted to the Philippines. Other countries face a similar threat and risk and willfully
have their heads in the sand regarding these threats. Denial serves the purposes of political
expediency or political correctness, but it does not help to deter the real enemy; rather, it
aides and abets them.
The time for casual observation, sitting on the fence, and retrospective analysis based on
solid empirical evidence that things are changing is over. The events in Marawi City are all
the empirical, retrospective information one needs to acknowledge that the time has come to
address these threats head-on. Political expediency and correctness exacerbate the
problem, and sitting on the fence waiting to say, in hindsight, that we maybe thought this was
going to happen no longer cuts it. Anyone with a modicum of analytical wherewithal should
have been looking at the events unfolding inside the first 24 hours in Marawi City and called
this significantly, more than an‟ isolated, responsive to circumstances‟ terrorism event.

Yet, the AFP and the government still bandy around differing numbers on those involved, the
groups involved, and foreign fighter number estimates. Frankly, unless the AFP are
conducting „audits‟ diligently counting the terrorists and differentiating their nationalities this
information is merely speculative. Neither they, nor anyone outside the instigators of this
incident, truly know from the situation on the ground how many fighters they face, how many
of those are foreign fighters, and what stockpiles they have.
What is the intention of these fighters? What is the plan for Mindanao? Who other than the
local commanders are directing this? Why now? Why here?
The Caliphate in Syria is shrinking and is in decline. This is not a surprise to anyone; the
efforts against the radicals have been intense. The physical sustainability of the Caliphate in
Syria-Iraq was always in question. Are ISIS lashing out in response to this as some would
suggest? This, what we are seeing from Marawi to Indonesia, to Bangladesh, India,
Afghanistan, Russia, Manchester and many other places and cities. This is not ‟lashing out‟;
it is part of a systematic spread of the insidious ideology espoused by ISIS. What we are
witnessing now is the Virtualization of the Caliphate, the expansion of their global strategy
to engage on multiple fronts to draw draconian responses. Those draconian responses are
precisely what they want. They serve as their greatest recruitment agents, fueling the supply
chain of supporters, fighters and radicals for a decade or more to come and thereby bringing
sustainability to their vile aspirations.
It would be lazy and disingenuous to fall into the trap of labeling the Marawi City incident
„contained and manageable.‟ This incident is a precursor to sustained radical Islamic
penetration and growth in Asia. It is a rallying call, an inspirational action that will spur on
support and growth of ISIS in Asia. The people behind the Black Flag Movement in the
Philippines are not just terrorist extremists, because this is not two or three groups acting in
unison. This is a movement, a collection of groups and intellectuals with a specific agenda
they have been pursuing for years, certainly since the start of this second decade.
The timing of this incident is also no coincidence. The Philippines government is struggling
to resolve two major insurgencies, a communist and Islamic separatist insurgency. Both are
faltering, one is about to escalate, the other may follow suit, then the AFP will be fighting on
multiple fronts, Communist rebels, Islamic separatists and Islamic fundamentalists taking
advantage of the rapidly deteriorating security environment and a very stretched security
apparatus. The Philippines‟ terrorism problem is about to get a lot worse.

Annex 1: MAUTE GROUP ‘Losses’: February 2016 – May 2017
2017
April 22-25: AFP 3-days raid on large Maute Camp in Piagapo (Lanao del Sur) 37 Killed
 AFP claim 37 militants‟ dead (incl. 4 JI members, 3 Indonesians and 1 Malaysian, latter
potentially a JI affiliate in Malay the KMM, Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia); including Abu
Imam Bantayaw, the Maute Group commander at Piagapo, and his deputy. Camp
reportedly housed 100 Maute fighters at time of AFP operation‟s launching, with AFP
commenting that „recruits‟ not „veterans‟ seemed to be in greater numbers at the camp.
May 15 – 11: House raid captures Maute members 11 Arrested
 A PNP-AFP raid captured 11 Maute at a „safe house‟ / staging post in Marogong, Lanao
del Sur. Several high-power weapons, and a 60mm mortar were recovered also.
May: 39 Maute members killed in second-wave operation in Lanao del Sur 39 Killed
 AFP claimed 39 Maute members killed in a sustained air strike campaign on their
positions
March 17: 4 Maute members arrested in camp raid 4 Arrested
 AFP stated they were suspects connected with a series of serious crimes including the
murder of a senior police officer, kidnapping for ransom, acting as guns for hire,
carnapping, extortion, and their involvement in the illegal drug trade in Lanao del Sur
and Lanao del Norte.
March 2: Maute fighters killed in anti-narcotics operation 4 Killed
 Maute gunmen killed during drugs raid. Maute deal in shabu as a method of financing
themselves
February 24: 2 Maute fighters killed in PNP operation 2 Killed, 1 arrested
 Two Maute group members were killed, one was captured in a law enforcement
operation in Iligan City following a failed kidnapping and car theft attempt.
January 2: Airstrike and artillery fire on Butig Maute camp - ASG Hapilon targeted
Several Killed
 AFP stated both Maute and ASG sustained major casualty, with a number of them dead
or seriously wounded from air strikes and artillery fire on their location. Hapilon was

reportedly wounded, with 4 ASG members also killed.
2016
November 26 - December 2: Butig town capture by Maute, followed by a 6 day siege
61 Killed, 12 Wounded
 The AFP claimed 61 militants‟ dead, 12 wounded after a six-day campaign to push
Maute out from Butig. AFP reportedly that a main-force of over 200 Maute Group had
been initially engaged, with this growing to 300 with many armed with RPGs.
o Duterte said the Maute Group‟s terror activities must end as its cause was
illegitimate. “There are only 50 of you and you will fight the armed forces. That‟s
foolish,” the president said.
November 10 : Davao City bombing suspect surrender 1 Surrender
 A suspect in the September 2, Davao City bombing surrendered himself to PNP,
confessing to being a member of „Dawlah Islamiyah‟
October 7: 3 Maute members arrested in connection to Davao City bombing 3
Arrested
 Three members of Maute group were arrested by PNP in connection to the September 2
Davao City bombing
August 22: 8 Maute group members arrested by PNP 8 Arrested / Escape
 The PNP arrested 8 Maute group members, including a senior commander Hashim
Balawag Maute, in Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur. However, on August 27 an
approximately 20-man strong group suspected as being from Maute group raided the
Lanao del Sur provincial jail in Marawi City‟s freeing them all and a further 15 inmates.
May: AFP’s PAF claims 30+ Maute killed in airstrike 30+ Killed
 Continued bombardment of a Maute group camp position, by the PAF led to the deaths
of over 30 Maute group members.
February 20 – March 2: Eleven-day military campaign against Maute 54 Killed
 AFP final claim for campaign was 54 militants killed. Reportedly BIFF elements came to
the aid of Maute, to slow down the AFP and to allow Maute to withdraw without suffering
continued losses.

Annex 2: Combat Indicators Philippines Foreign Fighters Timeline –
April 2016 onwards
May 26, 2017
DI (Maute-ASG): 6 Foreign Fighters identified amongst dead militants in Marawi City
Solicitor General Jose Calida in a press conference with Palace officials and the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Davao City said "… Malaysian, Indonesians from
Singapore, and other foreign jihadists" were identified amongst the militants killed in Marawi
City since May 23.
May 16, 2017
ASG: Hearings in Australia for 6 men plotting to become foreign fighters in
Philippines
Six Australians faced a committal hearing that will determine whether they should stand trial
charged with making preparations for incursions into foreign countries to engage in hostile
activities. The six men were allegedly trying to sail from Cape York to join ASG.
May 10, 2017
ASG, Maute, BIFF: AFP confirm at least 8 Foreign Fighters in Philippines
AFP Spokesman Brig. General Restituto Padilla in a media release said that foreign
terrorists have allegedly been providing assistance to local terrorist and lawless groups such
as the Abu Sayyaf, Maute, and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF): "most of
the time, they have been staying with these groups who have provided them safe havens
because [they fled] away from their countries as fugitives." Padilla further detailed that
foreign terrorists train local groups on how to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
Padilla added.
He further went on to say that they were previously part of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an
Indonesia-based terror group with links to al Qaeda, but that they have been changing
affiliations following the rise to prominence of the ISIS, which had put the JI to "oblivion."
Padilla said it is unclear when these foreign terrorists entered the Philippines.
April 26, 2017
ASG: POLRI confirmed AFP found Indonesian passports during raids against ASG

The Indonesian National Police (POLRI) confirmed the AFP found several Indonesian
passports during raids in ASG‟s TAOR. The POLRI spokesman said, "We have explained
that the discovery of these passports does not surprise us. Among several terror suspects,
Indonesian [extremists] have received training in the southern Philippines." He added that
they were extremists affiliated with ASG, and have purchased weapons from ASG. The
statement also recognised that border controls were insufficient to prevent militants from
travelling between Indonesia and the Philippines, specifically mentioning northern Sulawesi.
April 22-25, 2017
Maute, JI: 3 Indonesians and 1 Malaysian were killed on raid on a Maute Camp in
Lanao del Sur, with a further Indonesian passport recovered by PNP
On April 22 the AFP launched a military operation against a major Maute camp holding
approximately 150 fighter, in the town of Piagapo in Lanao del Sur. The Philippines Chief
General Eduardo Año, stated that among the 37 Maute members killed were the remains of
three Indonesians and one Malaysian who were believed to be all members of Jemaah
Islamiyah.
January 7, 2017
AKP: Sudanese militant suspect in training in Philippines before deployment to Syria
killed by AFP
Abu Naila, a Sudanese suspected to have had links to the Ansar Al-Khilafa Philippines
(AKP), and his wife, Kadija, were killed in an AFP raid on 7 January in Maasim, Sarangani
province.
Police data indicated that Naila was training in the Philippines before his deployment to Syria
to join ISIS extremists.
ASG: Dir. General of PNP dela Rosa, stated the PNP are monitoring 5-10 foreign
fighters in Philippines
Chief Dela Rosa said that Filipino intelligence operatives are having a hard time looking for
the Malay-looking terrorists. He added that the PNP had received information that foreign
terrorists are training in the country for deployment later in Syria.
January, 2017
ASG-KIM: Foreign fighters with KIM training ASG members in Lanao del Sur
A comment from the police intelligence community said that a foreign terrorist from the

Khilafa Islamiyah Movement (KIM) was known to be training members of the ASG in guerrilla
warfare in an undisclosed location in in Lanao del Sur.
June, 2016
ASG: Pledge of Indonesian and Malaysian militant to ASG’s Isnilon Hapilon
An ISIS video was posted on Youtube in June 2016, showing a Malaysian Rafi Udin, and an
Indonesian Abu Walid, both pledging their allegiance to Isnilon Hapilon
Oct 10, 2016
ASG: Malay militant, a known ASG associate arrested in Basilan
The Philippine National Police„s (PNP) Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit arrested Malay Amin
Aklam, in Sumisip, Basilan. He was a close associate of ASG according to the PNP. He was
charged with kidnapping with frustrated murder in relation to crimes committed in Jolo, Sulu.
August, 2016
AKP: Two of three AKP suspects killed by PNP-SAF identified as Indonesians
During a raid to arrest AKP‟s then leader, ‟Commander Tokboy‟ three AKP suspects were
killed by the PNP_SAF unit. Two were identified as being Indonesian nationals.
April, 2016
ASG: Moroccan trainer, killed in clash with AFP on Tipo-Tipo
Moroccan national and suspected militant Mohammad Khattab, was killed in clash with AFP
on Tipo-Tipo. Khattab was apparently also a suicide bomb trainer, however during his time in
Basilan no volunteers stepped forward. It appears that Khattab‟s principal role however was
to obtain further experience before deployment in Syria. Speculation was therein made that
Khattab was in regular contact with ISIS in Syria, whilst working with ASG in Basilan and
Mindanao.
Notable Malay and Indonesian militants embedded in the structures
of ASG and AKP
ABU SAYYAF GROUP, ASG
Malaysian national Amin Baco alias Abu Jihad, has been embedded in ASG for some
time. He works directly with Hapilon Isnilon, ASG-Basilan leader. He has been working
between DI and ASG since the early 2000s and has been based since at least 2011 on

Basilan. Known for training, recruiting, access to regional contacts, weapons deals,
facilitating KMM members training in Mindanao he is also a key communicator between the
ASG factions (ASG-Basilan Isnilon Hapilon faction with the non-ISIS pledged ASG Sulu and
Taw-Tawi factions). He is reportedly married to a prominent „ASG family‟ in Sulu (Tanum
Group). Baco is Malay, and was part of the Darul Islam (DI) network based in Sabah.
Although not member of JI he would certainly have strong links with members of JI and
KMM. He was specifically referred to in January 2017 by the PNP Chief Dela Rosa as a
serious threat.
Malaysian Muamar Gadafi, appears in a photograph taken in Mindanao with Mahmud
Ahmad and Joraimee in front of an ISIS flag in 2015.
ANSARUL KHALIFAH IN PHILIPPINES, AKP
AKP well-known for links with many groups around Southeast Asia particularly with
Indonesians and Malaysians. AKP‟s former Commander Tokboy (killed late 2016) had two
critically important connections that brought him directly in touch with ISIS in Syria. One was
through the Indonesian, Saifullah Ibrahim alias Ibrahim Ali alias Sucipto (killed November
2015), and the second Mohamad Reza Kiram.
Sucipto was a conduit to MIT in Sulawesi (Santoso Group) and was a direct link to Katibah
Nusantara, ISIS‟s Malay-speaking Indonesian-led fighting unit in Syria.
Kiram was a lifetime member of JI and had progressed through their structure. He had
previously served as the head of JI‟s administrative structure in Mindanao. He also was a
„structural JI‟ asset (Ref IPAC, Report #33, 2016), who worked not just with JI‟s long-term
ally MILF, but was owing to his foreign nationality was „free‟ to work with multiple groups.
Malaysians and Indonesians when free of local clan bindings that are a default given in the
Philippine extremist group landscape, permit them to move around freely and collaborate
with all. Therein, one has seen MILF elements and ASG work in operations with pivotal DI or
JI members in Mindanao such as JI‟s Kiram central. Kiram himself left sometime in 2014-15
for Syria - hence AKP‟s direct link to Syria.

ISS Risk Special Report - Marawi complex militant attack 6 Jun

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