Abu Sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf File:Abu Sayaaf.png Full Name: Abu Sayyaf Origin: The Philippines Foundation: 1989 headquarters Jolo, Sulu, Philippines Commanders: Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani † Isnilon Hapilon † Goals: Turn the Philippines into a jihadist state (failed) Crimes: Arson Mass murder Kidnapping War crimes Terrorism Extortion Rape Misogyny Piracy Torture Type of Villain: Neo-Islamic insurgent organization

Abu Sayyaf is a Jihadist terror militant group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than four decades, Moro groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country. The group is considered very violent and was responsible for the Philippines worst terrorist attack, the bombing of Superferry 14 in 2004, which killed 116 people. The name of the group is derived from the Arabic abu (أبو) ("father of"), and sayyaf (سيّاف) ("swordsmith"). As of 2012, the group was estimated to have between 200 and 400 members, down from 1,250 in 2000. They use mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars, and automatic rifles.

History

Since its inception in 1991, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, and extortion in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic state in the Philippines. They have also been involved in criminal activities, including kidnapping, rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage, drive-by shootings, extortion, and drug trafficking, and the goals of the group "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent".

The group has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2002, fighting Abu Sayyaf became a mission of the American military's Operation Enduring Freedom and part of the Global War on Terror. Several hundred United States soldiers are also stationed in the area to mainly train local forces in counter terror and counter guerrilla operations, but, as a status of forces agreement and under Philippine law, they are not allowed to engage in direct combat.

The group was founded by Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, and led after his death in 1998 by his younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani who was killed in 2007. On 23 July 2014, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon swore an oath of loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL. In September 2014, the group began kidnapping innocent people for ransom like video recording them beheaded if their demands are not met, in the name of ISIL.

File:MAMCabusayyafidntfy.png

a group of armed abu sayyaf terrorist soldiers are seen in this photo explaining a demand request, this photo was a snapshot taken in the abu sayyaf's released video and one of them who was holding that appears to be a small book which is likely to be an islamic bible was said to be mark aeron manzolim capule.

On May 23, 2017, Abu Sayyaf, the Maute group, and other pro-ISIL jihadi organizations began an uprising in Marawi, Lanao del Sur. This city is located in Muslim Mindanao (now Bangsamoro) a region of the Philippines with a high Muslim population, and they were expecting to attract support from this population. The battle ended on October 23, 2017, a week after Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed during a hostage rescue mission.