ASEAN Beat

Deconstructing Abu Sayyaf’s Resilience to Counter-Insurgency Operations

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ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia

Deconstructing Abu Sayyaf’s Resilience to Counter-Insurgency Operations

The insurgency has been remarkably resilient. How has it been able to survive the government’s counter-insurgency operations?

Deconstructing Abu Sayyaf’s Resilience to Counter-Insurgency Operations

The southernmost flagpole in the Philippines at Panguan Island, Tawi-Tawi, erected on April 29, 2017 by the 10th Philippine Marines Battalion Landing Team after it was secured from a decade of occupation by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Despite successful counterterrorism efforts by the Philippine government, including the recent arrest of two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) operatives in Basilan, the insurgency has shown remarkable resilience. How has ASG managed to counterbalance the government’s large preponderance of resources? It has done so by establishing relationships with nearby insurgencies, exploiting coastal populations, and organizing a decentralized command structure. Relying on these factors has allowed ASG to survive, despite a strong focus by the Philippine government on counter-insurgency operations both on land and by sea, including through initiatives like the Trilateral Cooperation Agreement and National Coast Watch System. Understanding how ASG improves its ability to avoid and survive direct confrontation can help counter-insurgency operations achieve long-term success.

Maintaining friendly relationships with other violent non-state actors in the region creates opportunities for collaboration and can provide safe-havens. By supporting nearby insurgencies, ASG members encourage reciprocity. To this end, ASG has long worked closely with other insurgent groups active in the region, including the Philippines-based Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Bangsomoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the Maute Group. Likewise, authorities have established connections between the ASG and the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah and Jamaah Ansharut Daulah terrorist groups.

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