Abu Sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf (ASG), officially as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant group, pirate group and former province of the Islamic State that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where Moro groups had been engaged in an insurgency seeking to create a Moro nation state. The group was responsible for the Philippines' deadliest terrorist attack, the bombing of the MV Superferry 14 which killed 116 people in 2004. The name of the group is derived from Arabic abu (أبو; "father of"), and sayyaf (سيّاف; "swordsmith"). As of April 2023, the group was estimated to have about 20 members, down from 1,250 in 2000.

The group carries out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion as their strategy. It has been involved in criminal activities, including rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage, drive-by shootings and drug trafficking. The goals of the group "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent".

The group is designated a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. From January 15, 2002, to February 24, 2015.

The group was founded and led by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, until his death in 1998. His younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani took over until he died in 2006. On July 23, 2014, Isnilon Hapilon, one of the group's leaders, swore an oath of loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State (IS) officially aligning the group with the global jihadist movement.

Since the 'All-Out-War' directive was issued in 2019 during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte over continuous attacks perpetrated by Abu Sayyaf towards civilians, especially after the Jolo Cathedral bombings, this has greatly diminished the terror group, with many of their leaders and members being killed and arrested, while former followers who returned to normal lives were reintegrated into society after serving their time in prison and undergoing rehabilitation. On March 22, 2024, the AFP's Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) announced that the Abu Sayyaf group had been dismantled. The group later resurfaced in 2026.