'Alleged Islamic State East Asia's Filipino leader surrendered in August'
Abu Turaife and five key followers said to have surrendered on Aug. 6.
MANILA: An emir of a pro-IS Filipino terror group touted to be the leader of the Middle East militant group’s so-called East Asia province surrendered to Philippine authorities on Aug. 6, according to an analyst.
Abu Turaife, the leader of the Turaife faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) terror group, was recently announced in pro-IS media channels as the emir of the so-called IS East Asia wilayat or province, better known as ISEA or ISEAP.
Rommel Banlaoi, the chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, writes in an opinion article published on Eurasia Review on Monday (Sept. 11) that the BIFF faction led by Abu Turaipe in Central Mindanao only had 31 members at the end of 2022.
“Ground and intelligence sources reported that on 6 August 2023, Abu Turaipe and his five key followers have surrendered to military forces in Barangay Buayan, Datu Piang, Maguindanao,” Banlaoi writes.
“Media and academic reports inaccurately described Abu Turaipe as the new leader of ISIS in Southeast Asia, or the East Asia Wilayah (EAW). Styling Turaipe as the new leader of EAW was in fact just a propaganda in the desperate attempt of ISIS to attract new followers from the Southern Philippines.”
This writer received a tip from a Facebook user in August on the surrender of Abu Turaife and a few of his followers on Aug 6 and subsequently asked for a comment from the Western Mindanao Command, but the military command has not responded.
In Lanao provinces, according to Banlaoi further, intelligence authorities are monitoring at least 46 remnants of the pro-IS Maute Group in 2022, but ground informants indicate that since the death of their leader Abu Zakaria in June 2023, the Maute Group has been practically deactivated with the surrender of most of its members.
“Those who have not surrendered are currently seeking refuge with their relatives in some camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” Banlaoi reveals.
In SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), remaining followers of the Salahuddin Group and the Ansar al-Khalifa Philippines or the Maguid Group are also suffering the same fate of eventual demise, according to the professor further.
“The Suyuful Khilafa Fi Luzon has also failed to operate and mount violent activities.”
The manpower, influence and firefighting capability of ISIS affiliated groups in the Philippines has steadily diminished since 2021.
The Abu Sayyaf, for example, suffered tremendous setbacks in membership from 130 in 2021 to a mere 70 in 2022 representing a decrease of 46.15% in personnel strength.
“Many of its key leaders have been killed while those still alive are continuously on the run,” Banlaoi explains further.
“Mudzirmar ‘Mundi’ Sawadjaan, the known ASG leader in Sulu, and Pasil Bayali, the known ASG leader in Basilan, are presently suffering difficulties in mounting violent activities because of the effective application of kinetic approaches through focused military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and intensified law enforcement operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP).”
“Moreover, local government authorities and civil society organizations are now deeply involved in non-military counter measures against the ASG. Because of the failure of the ASG to mount major violent incidents for the last two years, the provincial government of Sulu declared the whole of the province as already ASG free.”
All these ISIS groups, according to the expert, have practically lost their capabilities to initiate violent incidents that they used to do prior and during the 2017 Marawi Siege.
“Nonetheless, there is no need to be complacent as terrorist threats in the Philippines are metamorphosing into different forms. It is still very imperative to stay vigilant and remain alert. While ISIS threats are declining, they are not yet disappearing as there are still remnants and sleeper cells willing to sow terror,” Banlaoi concludes.
* UPDATE: After the publication of this article, the Western Mindanao Command spokesman gave this writer this response: “We have no official statement re this one as of the moment.”