Now into its fourth month, fighting between Philippine forces and pro-ISIS militants in the Philippine island of Mindanao has nearly subsided, with only a handful of terrorists continuing to hold pockets in the city of Marawi. But despite this apparent victory, questions linger over the broader extremist threat facing the Philippines as well as southeast Asia in its entirety.
Filipino ISIS ‘Not a Rag-Tag Group of Rebels’ | Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate for South Asia, Wilson Center
"This was not a rag-tag group of local rebels rising up against the state; these are well-armed and well-trained militants aligned with ISIS and well-versed in its tactics.
Manila Scores a Victory Against ISIS but More Battles Loom | Rohan Gunaratna, Head, International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, Nanyang Technical University
The very presence of ISIS in Mindanao threatens not only the Philippines but its neighbors. ISIS created its East Asia division with the intention of expanding from the Philippines to parts of Northeast and Southeast Asia. If ISIS spreads to Sabah in Malaysia and Eastern Indonesia, it will pose a significant challenge to Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the entire region.