Formed:1991

Disbanded: Group is active.

First Attack: April 4, 1991: The ASG carried out a grenade attack on Zamboanga City, killing 2 evangelical Americans (2 killed, 0 wounded).[1] 

Last Attack:  January 25, 2022: The ASG Nasirin sub-group attacked a military truck, killing one soldier and injuring two others. This was likely a retaliation against Philippines Military operations targeting their sub-group’s lair.[2]

Executive Summary

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is an Islamic separatist organization in the Philippines founded by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani in 1991. Heavily influenced by Al Qaeda in its early stages, the ASG started as a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and seeks an independent Muslim state in the southern Philippines. In the early 2000s, the ASG attracted attention through high-profile bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and attacks. The ASG renewed its campaign to establish an Islamic state in June 2017, when it gained control of parts of Marawi, a city in the southern Philippines.  It is regarded as the most dangerous militant group in the Philippines.

Group Narrative

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is an Islamic separatist organization based in the southern Philippines. It seeks an independent Islamic state for the Filipino Muslim minority, known as the Moro people, who live primarily in the Philippines’ Mindanao region. The ASG has carried out several high-profile assassinations and bombings in pursuit of its goal, developing a reputation as the most violent Islamic separatist group in the Philippines. While many of the ASG’s activities center on Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago in the predominantly Moro south, the ASG also engages less frequently in terrorist acts in the Filipino capital of Manila.[3]

The ASG formed in 1991 by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, who had studied in the Middle East with the support of a fundamentalist organization called the Islamic Tabligh. Janjalani became radicalized after traveling in Saudi Arabia, Libya, and other Muslim countries. While studying the Iranian Revolution in 1988, Janjalani reportedly met with Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and may even have fought alongside him during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, after which Janjalani developed his mission to transform the southern Philippines into an Islamic state.[4]

Janjalani was at one point a member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), but upon permanently returning to the Philippines from the Middle East, he recruited other disenfranchised MNLF members into what would become the ASG. These ex-MNLF members held more radical views on how to establish an independent Islamic state than did their former parent organization.[5] Despite the efforts of the existing MNLF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), persistent political and economic inequality between the Moros and other Filipinos strengthened the ASG’s emergence as an alternative to those organizations. The ASG also benefited from poor economic conditions in the Philippines at the time, allowing the group to recruit new members who had relatively few economic opportunities.[6]

Throughout the 1990s, the ASG gained recognition by turning to violence, engaging in bombings, kidnapping, assassinations, and other attacks with a special focus on Christians and foreigners. The ASG also targeted the Philippine military, consistent with the organization’s professed goal of resisting the Philippine government and establishing an independent Moro state.[7]

While the MNLF and the MILF distanced themselves from the ASG and its extremely violent tactics, the ASG’s loose relationship with Al Qaeda—stemming from Janjalani’s connection to bin Laden—continued. Al Qaeda supported the ASG with funding and training; in addition, Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, a wealthy Saudi businessman and bin Laden’s brother-in-law, also provided early funding to the ASG.[8] In 1991 and 1992, Al Qaeda member Ramzi Yousef—a major participant in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—traveled to the Philippines several times and, in 1994, allegedly provided training for ASG operatives.[9] During this time, Yousef and other Al Qaeda members, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, collaborated with the ASG in the Bojinka plot, in which twelve airplanes were to be bombed over the Pacific Ocean. The Bojinka plot was never executed; operatives botched the manufacturing of explosives in Yousef’s Manila apartment, leading to a fire and the discovery of the plot in January 1995.[10] The Al Qaeda-ASG relationship weakened after Pakistan arrested Yousef and the Philippines blocked Khalifa from entry after the discovery of his connection to the plot.[11]

After Philippine police forces killed Janjalani in a 1998 shootout, the ASG fractured into two factions. Khadaffy Janjalani, brother of the deceased ASG founder, led one group, while a commander named Galib Andang led the other. Fragmentation and deterioration of discipline within the ASG, combined with the loss of Al Qaeda’s assistance, pushed the organization to substitute its terrorist activities for kidnappings. These kidnappings were conducted specifically to obtain ransom, which was necessary for the group’s financial survival.[12] In 2000, the ASG conducted its first international attack, kidnapping twenty-one people from a Malaysian resort.[13] 

In the aftermath of Al Qaeda’s September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States, the ASG was targeted by U.S. forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the wide-ranging Operation Enduring Freedom, which included a 2002 U.S. deployment of 1,650 troops to the Philippines. The reinvigoration of counterterrorism efforts damaged the ASG. Galib Andang, for example, was captured in 2003. While the ASG did suffer losses, the elimination of certain key figures like Andang also decreased fragmentation.[14] 

Consequent to the decrease in fragmentation, the ASG was once again able to consolidate, and carried out several major attacks in the early 2000s. These included the ASG’s deadliest attack, the 2004 Superferry 14 bombing in Manila Bay that killed 116, and the 2005 “Valentine’s Day Bombings.” New U.S.-AFP counterterrorism efforts followed these high-profile attacks, and Khadaffy Janjalani was killed in 2006. As before, the ASG’s leadership losses and subsequent decentralization resulted in an end to mass bombings and a return to kidnapping for ransom in 2007.[15]

For a time beginning in 2007, the ASG mainly engaged in kidnapping activities, often threatening to behead hostages unless a ransom was paid. Most kidnapping victims have been Filipinos, although the ASG also targets foreigners in the southern Philippines, including tourists at resorts and foreign workers. The ASG’s kidnapping activities themselves appear to be profit-driven rather than politically motivated, although the ransoms fund weapons and other supplies.[16] Because of the ASG’s small size and focus on using kidnapping and extortion to make money, some analysts and officials began to describe the ASG as more of a criminal gang than an ideologically driven organization.[17] However, as the ASG has established increasingly strong ties with IS, its actions have returned to large-scale bombings with political motives, as well as armed attacks on both military and civialian targets. They have also continued to engage in kidnapping for ransom. [18]

The ASG is the smallest and most radical of the Philippines’ Islamic separatist groups, and the Philippine government does not consider it a legitimate negotiating partner. Likewise, because the ASG purportedly aims to create an independent state through violent resistance rather than negotiation, it has shown little inclination towards peace talks with the Philippine government.[19] The ASG has instead sought to undermine the latest round of peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, conducting attacks to destabilize ceasefire agreements and discourage further dialogue.[20] In July 2014 on the island of Jolo, the ASG killed at least 21 Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan, reportedly in retaliation for their support of the peace process.[21]

ASG and ISIS built connections beginning on July 23, 2014, when Isnilon Hapilon—an ASG leader—and a group of unidentified men appeared in a YouTube video pledging allegiance to IS and to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Days later in another video, a group of men identifying themselves as ASG members also pledged allegiance to IS and Baghdadi.[22] In September 2014, the ASG threatened the lives of two German hostages, demanding that Germany pay a ransom and rescind its support for U.S. attacks on IS.[23]

Scholars and officials, including Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero of the Philippine Army, said they believed that the ASG has pledged allegiance to IS solely to promote its own interests, rather than those of IS.[24] The ASG had earlier demanded only a ransom for the German hostages, and in October 2014, it released the hostages and reported that the ransom had been paid; there were no reported changes in German policy toward U.S. attacks on IS.[25]

In 2016, IS released a video showing four “battalions” of militants pledging allegiance to IS, who followed up with a video accepting the pledges from militant groups in the Philippines.[26] IS claims responsibility for attacks by the ASG and called for IS followers to go fight in the Philippines.[27] Following their declaration of allegiance to IS, ASG tactics were still primarily kidnapping for ransom and civilian attacks.[28] In a 2016 propaganda video, IS endorsed Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Isnilon Hapilon as the acting emir of Southeast Asia, although it had not declared the Philippines to be a formal province of the caliphate. This “has facilitated cooperation across ethnic groups” and several pro-IS groups consolidated under Hapilon’s leadership.[29] The IS-supported half of ASG was now centered in Basilon, while the other half of the ASG which was not loyal to Hapilon generally remained on Jolo.[30]

On May 23, 2017, the ASG launched an aggressive series of attacks in Marawi, a Muslim majority city in Mindanao. Fighting began after government forces tried to capture Isnilon Hapilon in Marawi based on some actionable intelligence.[31]  Other jihadist groups supported the ASG battle in Marawi, particularly the new IS-affiliated Maute Group. By June they had claimed parts of the city.[32]  Attacks also occurred elsewhere in the region.

In August 2017, an estimated 60 to 100 members of the ASG attacked a town called Maluso, killing nine people and injuring 10 others.[33]  Some fighters refer to the state they sought to create in the Mindanao region as the “East Asia Wilayat” or “Wilayah al-Filibin”, a name IS neither officially supported nor denounced.[34] Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law and the U.S. provided 50 to 100 special operations forces soldiers for training and technical assistance.[35]

On October 17, 2017, the Philippine government declared Marawi reclaimed after 5 months of fighting. In total, the battle for Marawi resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people (including an estimated 900 militants), and the displacement of an estimated 200,000 people. According to President Duterte and the Philippines military, Hapilon died during the final push to reclaim Marawi. The high death toll of ASG fighters and the loss of key leadership leaves the future of the ASG uncertain.[36] In recent years, the existence of many ASG factions—often based on clan or familial ties—has made it hard for group leader Radulan Sahiron to exert central command and control. Instead, the ASG is increasingly decentralized with different deputy leaders carrying out their own operations as they see fit.[37]

On July 24, 2018, the Philippine House of Representatives passed the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the final name of the former Bangsamoro Basic Law which would establish a new autonomous region for Moro Muslims in the south.[38] With President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing the bill into law, a Muslim regional entity was created in Mindanao. With the bill’s passing, the MILF, representatives of which were present during the signing of the bill in Manila, declared its support. MILF leader Ebrahim declared that 30-40,000 fighters would be decommissioned.[39] President Duterte signed the law into effect on July 26, 2018, although Misuari and the MNLF remain opposed to the BOL and want the government to honor the 1996 ARMM agreement and place Misuari in the position of governor of the autonomous region.[40]

On July 31, 2018, a car bomb exploded at a checkpoint in Basilian’s Lamitan City, killing at least 10 people, including the driver, a Philippine Army Special Forces sergeant, four Philippine Army-led local militiamen, and several civilians including a woman and child.[41] The AFP has assigned blame on militants linked to the ASG.[42]

Sub-leader Sawadjaan began training suicide bombers around 2018, and attacks have included military bases and churches, sparking concern for experts who had previously believed that suicide bombing would not come to the Philippines.[43] A U.S. Department of Defense Report to Congress said Sawadjaan was believed to be the “acting emir” of IS in the Philippines, although this has not been publicly confirmed by IS.[44]

On June 27, 2019, an Indonesian couple bombed a Roman Catholic church in Jolo during Sunday Mass, killing an estimated 20 people and wounding dozens more.[45] This attack came a week after voters in the Sulu province (where Jolo is located) voted not to become sami-autonomous, per the Bangsamoro Organic Law signed in 2018.[46] On August 24, 2020, two suicide bombers attacked a Jolo town plaza, one of whom was the wife of Norman Lasuca, the first “homegrown” Filipino suicide bomber. These attacks have sparked concern about entire families being radicalized.[47]

The group has continued to associate itself with IS, including flying the IS flag over kidnappings and attacks. This association can likely be credited with the increase in suicide bombing tactics.[48]

 

[1] "Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other Attacks." GMA News Research. GMA News Online, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/154797/news/abu-sayyaf-kidnappings…

[2] Alipala, Julie s. “Soldier killed, 2 others wounded in Abu Sayyaf attack in Sulu.” Philippines National Inquirer. 26 January 20222. Web. 4 February 2022.

[3] “Abu Sayyaf Group.” National Counterterrorism Center, n.d. Web. 24 June 2015. <http://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/asg.html&gt;

[4] Hutchison, Billy G. “Abu Sayyaf.” The Counterproliferation Papers: Future Warfare Series No. 49 (Sept. 2009): 3. USAF Counterproliferation Center. Web. 25 May 2012. <www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518942&gt;

[5] Hutchison, Billy G. “Abu Sayyaf.” <www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518942&gt;

[6] Banlaoi, Rommel C. “The Abu Sayyaf Group: From Mere Banditry to Genuine Terrorism.” Southeast Asian Affairs (2006): 249. Web. 25 June 2015.

[7] “The Abu Sayyaf-Al Qaeda Connection.” ABC News, 20 Dec. 2001. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=79205&gt;

[8] “The Abu Sayyaf-Al Qaeda Connection.” ABC News, 20 Dec. 2001. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=79205&gt;

[9] Hutchison, Billy G. “Abu Sayyaf.” The Counterproliferation Papers: Future Warfare Series No. 49 (Sept. 2009): 6. USAF Counterproliferation Center. Web. 25 May 2012. <www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518942&gt;

[10] “Suicide-pilot plan uncovered six years ago in Philippines.” AP/Reuters, 14 Sept. 2001. Web. 13 July 2015. <http://taipeitimes.com/News/us/archives/2001/09/14/102905&gt;

[11] Fellman, Zack. “Abu Sayyaf Group.” AQAM Futures Project Case Study Series, Case Study Number 5 (Nov. 2011): 3. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf…;

[12] Fellman, Zack. “Abu Sayyaf Group.” AQAM Futures Project Case Study Series, Case Study Number 5 (Nov. 2011): 3. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf…;

[13] "Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other Attacks." GMA News Research. GMA News Online, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. <http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/154797/news/abu-sayyaf-kidnappings…>

[14] Fellman, Zack. “Abu Sayyaf Group.” AQAM Futures Project Case Study Series, Case Study Number 5 (Nov. 2011): 3. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf…;

[15] Fellman, Zack. “Abu Sayyaf Group.” AQAM Futures Project Case Study Series, Case Study Number 5 (Nov. 2011): 4. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf…;

[16] Whaley, Floyd. “Kidnappings Point to Security Breakdown in Southern Philippines.” The New York Times, 5 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/world/asia/kidnappings-point-to-secur…;

[17] “In the Southern Philippines, the Peace Process Stumbles Forward.” Stratfor. 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 June 2015. <https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/southern-philippines-peace-process-st…;

[18] “Abu Sayyaf Group.” Counter Extremism Project. Web. 16 Feb 2022.

[19] Whaley, Floyd. “New Clash in the Philippines Raises Fears of a Wider Threat.” The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/world/asia/attack-raises-fears-of-mus…;

[20] “In the Southern Philippines, the Peace Process Stumbles Forward.” Stratfor. 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 June 2015. <https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/southern-philippines-peace-process-st…;

[21] Whaley, Floyd. “Filipino Rebels Kill 21 Villagers Over Peace Deal.” The New York Times, 28 July 2014. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/asia/philippine-rebel-group-opp…;

[22] Ressa, Maria A. “Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS.” Rappler, 15 Oct. 2014. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis&gt;

[23] Oltermann, Philip. “Islamists in Philippines threaten to kill German hostages.” The Guardian, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/24/islamists-philippines-thre…;

[24] FlorCruz, Michelle. “Philippine Terror Group Abu Sayyaf May Be Using ISIS Link For Own Agenda.” International Business Times, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com/philippine-terror-group-abu-sayyaf-may-be-using-…;

[25] “Islamist militants free two German hostages in Philippines.” The Guardian, 17 Oct. 2014. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/17/islamist-militants-abu-say…;

[26] Taylor, Victor. “Evolution of Abu Sayyaf Group Part 2”. Mackenzie Institute, 24 April 2017. Web. 27 October 2017. <http://mackenzieinstitute.com/evolution-abu-sayyaf-group-part-2/>

[27] Taylor, Victor. “Evolution of Abu Sayyaf Group Part 2”. Mackenzie Institute, 24 April 2017. Web. 27 October 2017. <http://mackenzieinstitute.com/evolution-abu-sayyaf-group-part-2/>

[28] “Country Report on Terrorism 2014,” U.S. Department of State, June 19, 2015. Web. 20 November 2017. <http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2014/239413.html>

[29] “Isnilon Hapilon.” Counter Extremism Project. Web. 16 February 2022.

“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia.” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, Report No. 33, 25 October 2016. Web. February 16, 2022. http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf

[30] “Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia.” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, Report No. 33, 25 October 2016. Web. February 16, 2022. http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf

[31] “Timeline: Maute Attack in Marawi City”. ABS-CBN News, 25 May 2017. Web. 20 November 2017. http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/05/23/17/timeline-maute-attack-in-marawi-…}} {{Morallo, Audrey. “AFP: Marawi clashes as part of security operation, not terrorist attack”. Philstar Global, 23 May 2017. Web. 20 November 2017. <http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/05/23/1702885/afp-marawi-clashes…;

[32] “Who are the ISIS-linked Maute Group Militants Terrorizing the Philippines?” Reuters, 23 June 2017. Web. 20 November 2017. <http://www.newsweek.com/who-are-isis-linked-maute-group-and-how-have-th…>

[33] “9 killed in Philippine Abu Sayyaf Attack: Police”. The Straits Times, 21 August 2017. Web. 28 October 2017. <http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/9-killed-in-philippines-abu-sa…;

[34] Ramakrishna, Kumar. “The East Asia Wilayat: A Long Time in the Making”. Institute for Autonomy and Governance, 14 October 2017. Web. 20 November 2017. <http://www.iag.org.ph/index.php/blog/1510-the-east-asia-wilayah-of-isis…;

[35] Watts, Jake Maxwell. “U.S. Forces Backing Philippine Troops as Battle With Islamic State-Linked Militants Intensifies” Wall Street Journal, 10 June 2017. Web 3 July, 2018. <https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-forces-backing-philippine-troops-as-ba…;

[36] Paddock, Richard & Villamor, Felipe. “Destroying a Philippine City to Save It From ISIS Allies”. The New York Times, 13 June 2017. Web. 21 October 2017. <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/world/asia/marawi-philippines-islami…> , Jones, Sidney. “After Marawi, Abu Sayyaf could Return to Kidnapping”. The Maritime Executive, 20 October 2017. Web. 28 October 2017. <https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/after-marawi-abu-sayyaf-could…>

[37] "Abu Sayyaf Group." Australian National Security. Australian Government, n.d. Web. Accessed 5 August 2013. <http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/A…;

[38] Diaz, Jess. “House ratifies Bangsamoro Organic Law”. Philstar, 25 July, 2018. Web. 24 July, 2018 (Manila time is +1 day). <https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/25/1836632/house-ratifies-ba…;.

[39] Associated Press, “Philippine rebel chief: 30,000 rebels to be disarmed in deal”. Philstar, 25 July, 2018. Web. 24 July, 2018 (Manila time is +1 day). <https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/25/1836474/philippine-rebel-…;.

[40] Placido, Dharel. “Duterte offers peace to Misuari”. ABS-CBN News, 26 July, 2018. Web. 29 July, 2018. < http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/26/18/duterte-offers-peace-to-misuari&gt;.

[41] Felongco, Gilbert P. “Ten killed as powerful explosion rips checkpoint in Basilan”. Gulf News Philippines, 31 July, 2018. Web. 31 July, 2018. https://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/ten-killed-as-powerful-explo….

[42] McKirdy, Euan and Yazhou Sun. “Car bomb kills at least 10 in Philippines”. CNN World, 31 July 2018. Web/ 31 July 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/31/asia/philippines-basilan-car-bomb-intl/i….

[43] Gomez, Jim and Maamoun Youssef. “Abu Sayyaf chief likely plotted suicide attacks.” Associated Press News. 29 June 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://apnews.com/article/5c0885f2efc246f2a038f53c68a7372a

[44]Jim Gomez, “Amid loss of leaders, unknown militant rises in the Philippines.” Associated Press, 21 February 2019. Web. 16 February 2022.

[45]  BBC News. “Jolo church attack: Many killed in Philippines.” BBC News. 27 January 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47018747

[46]  BBC News. “Jolo church attack: Many killed in Philippines.” BBC News. 27 January 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47018747

[47] Punzalan, Jamaine. “Jolo twin blasts, 2019 church bombing have same mastermind.” ABS CBN News. 27 August 2020. Web. 4 February 2022.

[48] Reyes, Dempsey. “Sawadjaan acting IS emir in PF.” Manila Times. 7 February 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/02/07/news/top-stories/sawadjaan-acting-is-emir-in-ph/507888/ “Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia.” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, Report No. 33, 25 October 2016. Web. February 16, 2022. http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf ; Hart, Micheal. “Philippines’ Abu Sayyaf Terrorists Turn to Suicide Bombing.” Asia Sentinel. 24 April 2020. Web. 4 February 2022.

 

Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization’s history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.

April 4, 1991: The ASG conducted a grenade attack in Zamboanga City, killing two U.S. Christian evangelists. (2 killed, unknown wounded).[1]

August 1991: The ASG bombed a Christian missionary ship, M/V Doulos. (2 killed, 40 wounded).[2]

April 14, 1995: The ASG attacked the Christian town of Ipil. (53 killed, 48 wounded, ~30 hostages).[3]

April 23, 2000: The ASG conducted its first attack in Malaysia, kidnapping twenty-one people from a tourist resort in Sipadan. These hostages were all released or escaped. (0 killed, unknown wounded, 21 hostages).[4]

May 27, 2001: ASG gunmen kidnapped tourists, including three Americans, from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan. Six days later, ASG members brought at least some of these hostages to a hospital in Lamitan, where they took more hostages, resulting in Philippine troops laying siege to the hospital.[5] After the kidnapping, the U.S. and the Philippines conducted massive military operations against the ASG in an attempt to rescue the hostages. Some hostages escaped or were released while others—including two of the Americans—were killed. (2 killed, unknown wounded, 20 hostages).[6]

March 4, 2003: A bomb exploded in a shed outside the main terminal building of the Davao International Airport. An ASG spokesman called a national radio station the following day, claiming responsibility for the attack. (21 killed, 148 wounded).[7]

February 27, 2004: A member of the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), a group closely tied to the ASG, detonated a bomb on Superferry 14, a passenger ferry carrying 900 passengers out of Manila. The ASG claimed responsibility for planning the attack, which was confirmed by a subsequent government investigation. The Superferry 14 bombing was the Philippines' deadliest terrorist attack and the world's deadliest terrorist attack at sea. (116 killed, unknown wounded).[8]

February 14, 2005: ASG operatives simultaneously detonated two bombs in Mindanao’s General Santos City and Davao City, closely followed by a third bomb in Makati City. These attacks became known as the "Valentine's Day Bombings,” after the ASG’s Abu Sulaiman claimed that the bombs were a "gift" to then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (8 killed, 147 wounded).[9] 

November 13, 2007: A bomb outside the Philippine House of Representatives killed a congressman and two congressional employees. This operation was attributed to the ASG and was the first bombing attack on the Philippine Congress. (3 killed, 11 wounded).[10]

May 23, 2017 – October 17, 2017: Armed ASG and Maute group fighters overtook a hospital in Marawi City, marking the beginning of a 5-month long siege of the city.The military reported total casualties of 163 government troops, 57 civilians and 847 militants . A count of 359,680 people were reported to be displaced during this conflict. (1067 killed, unknown wounded)[11]

January 27, 2019: Two bombs were detonated at a Roman Catholic cathedral during Sunday Mass, killing 21 people and injuring “dozens more.”[12] IS took credit for this attack. (21 killed, “dozens” injured).[13]

June 28, 2019, 2019: Two suicide bombers carried out an attack outside a military camp in Jolo. One of the bombers, Norman Lasuca, is considered the first “homegrown” Filipino suicide bomber. The attack killed the two bombers, three soldiers, and two civilians, and wounded 22 others. (7 killed, 22 wounded).[14]

 

[1] "Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other Attacks." GMA News Research. GMA News Online, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. <http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/154797/news/abu-sayyaf-kidnappings…>

[2] Banlaoi, Rommel C. “The Abu Sayyaf Group: From Mere Banditry to Genuine Terrorism.” Southeast Asian Affairs (2006): 249. Web. 25 June 2015.

[3] "Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other Attacks." GMA News Research. GMA News Online, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. <http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/154797/news/abu-sayyaf-kidnappings…>, La Vina, Enrico Antonio and Lilita Balane. “Timeline: Abu Sayyaf atrocities.” ABS-CBNNews.com, 9 Nov. 2009. Web. 7 July 2015. <http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/31/09/abu-sayyaf-atrocities&gt;

[4] "Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other Attacks." GMA News Research. GMA News Online, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. <http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/154797/news/abu-sayyaf-kidnappings…>, Golingai, Philip. “Ugly business of kidnapping.” The Star, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 July 2015. <http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/One-Mans-Meat/Profile/Arti…;

[5] “Philippines hostage crisis deepens.” BBC News. BBC, 2 June 2001. Web. 13 July 2015. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1365491.stm&gt;

[6] “Timeline: Hostage crisis in the Philippines.” CNN, 25 Aug. 2002. Web. 29 June 2015. <http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/06/07/phil.timeline…;

[7] Spaeth, Anthony. "First Bali, Now Davao." TIME, 10 Mar. 2003. Web. 18 July 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,430934,00.html>

[8] “Lives Destroyed: Attacks Against Civilians in the Philippines.” Human Rights Watch, July 2007. Web. 29 June 2015. <http://www.hrw.org/reports/2007/philippines0707/philippines_lives_destr…;, Thompson. Matthew. “The other war against terror…at $8 a day.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 July 2005. Web. 1 July 2015. <http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-other-war-against-terror--at-8-a-d…;

[9] "What Went Before: Valentine's Day bombings in 2005." Philippine Daily Inquirer, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 July 2012. <http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110126-316…;

[10] Conde, Carlos H. “Lawmaker Killed in Manila Bombing Linked to Insurgents in ‘90s.” The New York Times, 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/world/asia/15manila.html&gt;,“Abu Sayyaf Group.” National Counterterrorism Center, n.d. Web. 24 June 2015. <http://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/asg.html&gt;

[11] “Timeline: The Marawi crisis” CNN Philippines, 28 October 2017. Web. 29 October 2017. <http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/05/24/marawi-crisis-timeline.html>; Matsuzawa, Mikas. “Marawi crisis: What we know–and don’t know–so far.” Philstar Global, 29 May 2017. Web. 24 January 2022.

[12] BBC News. “Jolo church attack: Many killed in Philippines.” BBC News. 27 January 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47018747

[13] BBC News. “Jolo church attack: Many killed in Philippines.” BBC News. 27 January 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47018747; Punzalan, Jamaine. “Jolo twin blasts, 2019 church bombing have same mastermind.” ABS CBN News. 27 August 2020. Web. 4 February 2022.

[14] Gomez, Jim and Maamoun Youssef. “Abu Sayyaf chief likely plotted suicide attacks.” Associated Press News. 29 June 2019. Web. 4 February 2022. https://apnews.com/article/5c0885f2efc246f2a038f53c68a7372a ; Punzalan, Jamaine. “Jolo twin blasts, 2019 church bombing have same mastermind.” ABS CBN News. 27 August 2020. Web. 4 February 2022.