- A terrorism and security expert said ISIS should be blamed for the deadly Basilan clash that killed 18 soldiers and 5 terrorists
- He said ASG leader Isnilon Hapilon has pledged allegiance to the ISIS and is no longer loyal to the local Abu Sayyaf leader
- He also warned that the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines must act together to control the Sulu Sea before it is turned into a terrorists ‘safe zone’
MANILA, Philippines – The group behind the Basilan encounter that killed 18 soldiers and 5 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members is no less than the Islamic State (ISIS); this was according to security and terrorism expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna.
Speaking to Rappler’s Maria Ressa on Sunday, April 11, Gunaratna reportedly said that the ASG group led by Isnilon Hapilon has already pledged allegiance to ISIS and is no longer loyal to the bandits’ recognized leader Radullan Sahiron.
“The group responsible is the Islamic State, led by Isnilon Hapilon in the Philippines,” said Gunaratna; head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and author of the book Inside Al-Qaeda.
The security expert added Hapilon is the current leader of the ISIS branch in the Philippines, and has, in fact, taken responsibility for the deadly clash between the terror group and government troops.
“So it’s wrong for anyone to say that this is a fight with the Abu Sayyaf because in Basilan, Isnilon Hapilon and all the other commanders have pledged allegiance to (ISIS leader) Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi. They are no longer loyal to Radullan Sahiron, the Abu Sayyaf leader,” Rappler quoted Gunaratna as saying.
Earlier, Gunaratna warned that broader security measures is needed to secure the waters shared by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia or it will end up as a base of operation, not only for terrorists, but for criminals as well.
The three Asian neighbors, Gunaratna said, must come up with a strategy that will effectively control and secure the Sulu Sea and that a stricter military solution is required to address the problem before it blows out of control.
Gunaratna cited the incident last week wherein four Malaysians were abducted by gunmen in the Pulau Ligitan in Semporna and have reportedly been held captive by Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu.
“The terrorists are engaged in hostage taking with the aim of eventually turning the area into a ‘safe zone’ to conduct attacks against these countries,” the security analyst earlier told Today.
On Sunday, 18 soldiers and 5 bandits were killed in a clash in Tipo Tipo, Basilan in a gun battle that lasted for nearly 10 hours. Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Maj. Filemon Tan said 50 more soldiers were wounded.
Among the terrorists killed were Hapilon’s own son Ubaida Hapilon, and Mohammad Khattab; a Moroccan national who is suspected to be an international terrorist.
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