Killers without a cause
The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group is being blamed for the recent bombings in the southern Philippine town of Jolo, considered one of its strongholds. The twin bombings involved a homemade bomb and a female suicide bomber, while a third bomb apparently did not go off. At least 14 people, including six civilians, were killed and 75 injured. The attacks took place near a cathedral where 20 people were killed last year in bombings claimed by Daesh. Abu Sayyaf also recently pledged allegiance to Daesh. Any investigation will also suffer from institutional mistrust that the mostly-Muslim Moro people have for government forces. Reports suggest that the local police share familial ties with Abu Sayyaf members and may have been shielding or even helping them during past incidents.
A factor here is also the brutal treatment meted out to Muslims in the region decades ago, when the liberation movements-turned terrorist groups first popped up. Mistrust of the military is hard to grow past. Philippines authorities are apparently worried by the rising trend of suicide bombings in the country — at least six including Monday’s incident have been reported in the last three years. In this case, the suicide bomber was apparently trying to attack first responders when she was stopped at a check point. Such tactics have previously been used by Al Qaeda and Daesh in the Middle East and South Asia. Such attacks would also represent an escalation for Abu Sayyaf, which is among the militant groups active in Mindanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the south of the Catholic country.
Abu Sayyaf is generally considered the most violent. Other Muslim groups, both mainstream and separatist, refer to them as common criminals that indulge in kidnappings, robberies, and attacks on civilians, which most of the other groups condemn. Abu Sayyaf is also accused by the other groups of lacking a clear ideological goal, which makes the group even more threatening.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2020.
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