Ansar Khalifa Philippines
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Ansar Khalifa Philippines (AKP), also referred to as Ansar al-Khilafah in the Philippines and Ansarul Khilafah Philippines () was a Philippine-based militant group that emerged in August 2014 when it released a video pledging allegiance to
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
. The
Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...
characterized the group as "bandits" engaging in cattle rustling and
extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
activities.
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
listed the group as terrorist organization in 2019.


Background

Ansar Khalifa Philippines was allegedly based in the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani and was initially led by Abu Sharifah. The group was considered to have the closest link to ISIS fighters in Syria among local terrorist groups in the Philippines. Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, identified as the leader of Ansar Khalifa Philippines, was killed in an operation conducted by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
on January 5, 2017, in Kiamba, Sarangani. Maguid was said to have been trained by Zulkifli Abdhir in bomb-making. A few weeks later, the group's new leader, Abdullah Nilong, was captured by policemen in Polomolok, South Cotabato. In October 2017, Maguid's widow, Karen Aizha Hamidon, was arrested for recruiting fighters and spreading propaganda related to the
Battle of Marawi The siege of Marawi (), also known as the Marawi crisis () and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Government of the Philippines, Philippine government Arme ...
and the Maute group. Filipino authorities attributed 296
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
posts related to "recruiting to the ranks of the ISIS-affiliated Muslim militants" in
Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao language, Maranao: ''Bandar a Marawi''; ; Jawi script, Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the ...
to her authorship. She was also identified as a "close associate" of Musa Cerantonio, an Australian
Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...
and ISIL supporter.


Activities

In November 2015, eight members of Ansar Khalifa Philippines were killed in a four-hour firefight against Philippine military units in
Sultan Kudarat Sultan Kudarat, officially the Province of Sultan Kudarat (; Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Sultan Kudarat'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: دايرت نو سولتان كودرت; ; Ilocano language, Ilocano: ''Probinsia ti Sultan Ku ...
. One of the dead militants was identified as Abdul Fatah, an Indonesian national. On December 28, militants threw an explosive device at Kulotot Videoke Bar in Rosary Heights IV neighborhood,
Cotabato City Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato (Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Kutawatu'', Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ; Cebuano language, Cebuano: ''Dakbayan sa Cotabato''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, inde ...
,
Maguindanao Maguindanao (; Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Magindanaw''; Iranun: ''Perobinsia a Magindanao''; ) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 to 2022, its provincial capital ...
. There were no casualties or material damages as the device did not fully detonate, Ansar Al-Khilafa claimed responsibility for the attack. Philippine security officials have stated that Ansar Khalifa Philippines had cooperated with the Maute group in carrying out the 2016 Davao City bombing. In December 2016, two alleged members of the group were captured by Philippine National Police personnel after a bomb they planted in a trash bin near the United States embassy in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
failed to explode. The group was said to have worked with the
Abu Sayyaf Abu Sayyaf (; , ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, was a Jihadist militant and piracy, pirate group that followed the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It was based in and around Jolo and B ...
in carrying out the abortive plan to kidnap tourists in the
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
region that culminated in the
2017 Bohol clash The 2017 Bohol clashes were armed conflicts that took place in April and May 2017 between Philippine security forces and Moro people, Moro Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL-affiliated militants led by members of the Abu Sayyaf in Inab ...
. Furthermore, they were reported to have contributed fighters in support of the Maute group-led assault that resulted in the Battle of Marawi. In October 2018, Bassir Sahak, an alleged leader of the group was killed in an encounter with state forces in Sitio Lebe, Barangay Daliao, Maasim, Sarangani.


References

{{IslamismSEA Jihadist groups Islamism in the Philippines Factions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant