Singapore has offered a military transport airplane, drone surveillance aircraft and use of combat training facilities to support the Philippines’ fight against the rising threat of Islamist militancy, the defence ministry said according to reuters.com.

The offer stemmed from talks in Manila earlier this week between Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and his Philippines counterpart Delfin Lorenzana.

Surrounded by Muslim majority countries and with a Muslim minority of its own, Singapore is worried by the small but dangerous number of people in the region who have been radicalised by Islamic State.

Ministers describe the terror threat against the wealthy city-state as the highest in recent years and alarm was heightened in May when a militant group linked to Islamic State seized Marawi City on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.

Security forces are still battling to regain control of the town and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte this week asked Congress to extend martial law until the end of the year on Mindanao, the only Muslim majority island in the largely Catholic Philippines.

During the past two months Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines launched joint maritime and air patrols over their shared boundaries in the Sulu Sea, to guard against the movement of militants between Borneo Island and Mindanao.

Supporting the regional effort, Singapore’s Defence Ministry said that it had offered a C-130 transport plane to deliver humanitarian supplies, drone surveillance aircraft, and use of training facilities for the Philippines military.

“While the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is confident that Marawi will be secured from terrorists soon, further concerted efforts are required to ensure that other terrorist cells do not entrench themselves in the southern Philippines, as this would cause instability to the rest of ASEAN,” the ministry said in a statement.

Fearful that Islamic State could build a base in Southeast Asia, governments in the region announced last month that they plan share intelligence, using spy planes and drones to stem the movement of militants across their porous borders.

As the Islamic State’s (IS) territories continue to shrink in the Middle East, culminating in the loss of its stronghold Mosul in Iraq on Jul 10, its followers are hitting Southeast Asia in an attempt to show that it still exists, like reported by channelnewsasia.com.

In Indonesia, scores of police officers have been killed by IS followers – in suicide bombings in Jakarta in May and in knife attacks in Medan in June.

In the southern Philippines, IS-linked fighters have laid siege to Marawi city for almost two months now, killing more than 500 people so far.

Warnings by Southeast Asian governments of attacks by returning IS foreign fighters are now unfolding in the region.

“The bomb attacks against police in Jakarta in May, knife attacks against police in Medan and Jakarta … are linked to IS losing territories in Mosul and in Syria,” an Indonesian counter-terrorism source told Channel NewsAsia.

“IS has always targeted the police but in recent times, they have stepped up calls for attacks against the police via social media and we have seen an increase in attacks,” the source added.

There are about two million IS members in Indonesia, according to terrorism expert Al Chaidar from the Malikussaleh University in Aceh.

“All these attacks were carried out by IS sympathisers … to bring the message that IS still exists,” Martinus Sitompul, Indonesian police spokesman, told Channel NewsAsia.

ISLAMIC STATE AT ITS “MOST DANGEROUS” FOLLOWING MOSUL LOSS

The Iraqi city of Mosul was where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamic caliphate in 2014 and pronounced himself the leader of the world’s Muslims.

Three years on, with the loss of Mosul, analysts warn that the IS group is now at its most dangerous in Southeast Asia.

“The most dangerous people are the ones who have lost. They are not rational,” said independent Indonesian counter-terrorism and Middle East analyst Hasibullah Satrawi. “If we can understand this psychological aspect, you will see that we are now facing a much bigger danger.”

“Defeat is not in their vocabulary and they only want to carry out attack after attack as they believe it will lead them to heaven.”

Indeed, Indonesian police spokesman Martinus Sitompul told Channel NewsAsia that the recent attacks in Southeast Asia were carried out by IS sympathisers, “to bring the message that IS still exists.”

Hasibullah also warned that returning fighters are citizens who have rejected their own governments.

“Returnees from Syria and Iraq are people who reject their own country and the concept of a nation state,” said Hasibullah.

“They only believe in an Islamic state and they see the respective ASEAN countries as an infidel state which must be crippled through war. This is a problem and challenge to all ASEAN governments,” he added.

Attacks are also being carried out by lone wolves who are radicalised online, in response to IS’ call to strike in their own country if they cannot make it to the battlefield in Syria.

GLOBALISATION OF MILITANTS IN THE REGION

Another challenge is the globalisation of militants in the region. For instance, recent calls for attacks in Malaysia are not made by Malaysian citizens but by Indonesians working in the country.

“In the past, calls for attacks were made by Malaysians. From the latest intelligence that we received, Indonesians living in Malaysia have been calling for attacks on Malaysian nightspots via Whatsapp and Telegram,” Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, head of the Special Branch counter-terrorism division told Channel NewsAsia.

Special Branch is the intelligence arm of the Malaysian police.

According to the police, an Indonesian citizen was arrested together with a Malaysian last February for plotting to use a vehicle bomb to launch attacks in Kuala Lumpur.

Ayob, who is Malaysia’s top counter-terrorism cop, has also found himself targeted by Indonesian IS followers in the country. In a Facebook post last month, militants called for his assassination and accused him of being an “infidel” who wages war against IS.

Since 2013, Malaysian police have arrested a total of 310 people for suspected links to IS, of which 52 are foreigners. Of the 52 foreigners, 21 are Indonesians.

Another 34 Malaysians have died fighting in Syria and Iraq for IS, of which nine died as suicide bombers.

Currently, 53 Malaysians remain in Syria and 17 children are among them. Another eight Malaysians have returned home.

BATTLEGROUND MARAWI

Because it is now more difficult to travel to Syria, Malaysian and Indonesian police said IS followers are making their way to the southern Philippines – given its close proximity – to wage jihad.

“IS supporters from Southeast Asia will look for the easiest route to travel to fight for IS and the closest place is southern Philippines,” said Ayob.

The ongoing siege in southern Philippines’ Marawi city is led by two brothers, Omarkhayam Romato Maute and Abdullah Maute of the IS-inspired Maute Group.

They are aided by the pro-IS faction of the Abu Sayaf group led by Isnilon Hapilon who wants to take over Marawi and establish an Islamic state.

Foreign fighters from Malaysia, Indonesia, Chechnya and Arab countries are known to have taken part in the Marawi siege.

The Maute group’s attack is the biggest challenge facing Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte since he took office last June. The United States and ASEAN members have said they stand ready to help the Philippines counter the ongoing threat.

Pakistan’s military has launched a large scale operation against the Islamic States in its volatile tribal areas, bordering Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Pakistani Military Spokesman, Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor claimed that Islamic State (Daesh) was growing in strength inside Afghanistan, prompting Pakistan to launch an operation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

“This operation was necessary because Daesh is getting established there and we have to stop the influence of Daesh spreading into Pakistani territory through the Rajgal valley,” Ghafoor said, referring to a valley surrounded by mountains reaching up to 14,000 feet.

He said that the “Khyber 4” operation, which would include the Pakistan air force, would focus on the border areas inside the Khyber Agency area, which is part of FATA.

Ghafoor said across the Khyber border there are safe havens for multiple “terrorist” organizations that are linked to recent attacks in Pakistan, including the Parachinar assault.

It comes as Pakistan has long denied Islamic State has a foothold inside the country despite a series of attacks claimed by the group over the past two years, including a bombing in the northern town of Parachinar last month that killed 75.

A gun-toting adult is surrounded by children, and a teen standing away from the group is seen cradling an AK-47 assault rifle, like reported by nationmultimedia.com.

A commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Islam group has been killed in the airstrikes conducted in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, like reported by khaama.com.

The provincial police commandment said a total of five militants were killed in the airstrikes conducted on Wednesday evening and late night of the same day.

According to a statement by Nangarhar police, at least four foreign insurgents including the Lashkar-e-Islam commander identified as Shah Nawaz were among those killed.

The statement further added that the first airstrike was carried out around the evening time in Spin Zhari area of Nazian district, leaving the Lashkar-e-Islam commander Shah Nawaz dead.

The second airstrike was carried out late on Wednesday night in the vicinity of Mia Baba area of Haska Mina district, leaving four ISIS militants dead, including three foreign insurgents.

The local security officials are saying that the local residents in the two districts and the security personnel did not suffer any casualties during the operations.

Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in eastern Afghanistan but the anti-government armed militant groups have recently increased their insurgency activities in some parts of the province during the recent years.

This comes as an anti-ISIS operation is underway in Nangarhar to eliminate the presence of ISIS affiliates in this province.

The US forces based in Afghanistan are also providing support to the Afghan forces during the operations, mainly involving airstrikes.

At least three militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed in airstrikes in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, like reported by khaama.com.

The 201^st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces in the East said the airstrikes were carried out on Tuesday in Achin district.

A statement by the 201^st Silab Corps said the militants were targeted in Gorgori, Deh Bala, and Momandwach areas of Achin.

The statement further added that two Pakistani insurgents hailing from Orakzai agency of Pakistan were also among those killed.

According to the Silab Corps, the security personnel and local residents did not suffer any casualties during the operations.

The anti-government armed militant groups including the ISIS loyalists have not commented regarding the report so far.

The Afghan forces are busy conducting counter-terrorism and clearance operations in some restive districts of Nangarhar as the  ISIS loyalists have been attempting to expand their foothold and activities in certain districts of the during the recent years.

The US forces based in Afghanistan have stepped up airstrikes against the anti-government armed militants in Afghanistan.

The airstrikes were increased particularly after the former US administration granted broader role to the US forces to resume counter-terrorism operations, a step that was taken after growing instability in the country, mainly due to the insurgency led by the Taliban and ISIS militants.

Ansarul Sharia Pakistan (ASP), the organisation that attacked policemen in the Dhoraji locality on May 21 and SITE Area on June 23, is inspired by al Qaeda and its parent outfit is headed by a Tunisian, a counterterrorism official told according to thenews.com.pk.

Raja Umer Khattab, chief of the Sindh Counter Terrorism Department’s Transnational Terrorists Intelligence Group, said Ansarul Sharia, which meant ‘supporter of Islamic law’, was formed by Saifullah, alias Tusani, who had also participated in the Afghan jihad.

“When he returned home to Tunisia in 2006, he was arrested by the then government and incarcerated. While in prison, he developed ties with other militants there.”

In 2011 the new government freed him and other militants, following which Saifullah formed Ansarul Sharia Tunisia, under which he carried out welfare work and preaching as well as raised funds to support the organisation like the banned outfits operating in Pakistan, added Khattab.

He said Ansarul Sharia was inspired by al Qaeda, which also used local militants for conducting attacks, adding that the Saifullah’s group operated in the same manner by targeting liberal politicians, US-funded schools and other installation. Because of these crimes, the then government banned the organisation.”

The official said the terrorists then fled to Libya and formed Ansarul Sharia Libya, for which they once more hired local militants. “The practice saved their funds, made it easier to achieve their targets and did not require any logistic support.”

The outfit has parted company with the Islamic State, commonly known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, and supports the al Qaeda, but they have their own distinctive identity as is evident by social media, he added.

Khattab said Ansarul Sharia involved three kinds of people: the first and foremost were those associated with its militant wing, the second were those delivering sermons and the third were those raising funds for the organisation. “The group also supports the central command concept as adopted by al Qaeda.”

The official said the pattern of Ansarul Sharia was similar to that of al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), adding that investigations and records showed that ASP was hiring those militants who were either expelled, trained or disowned by AQIS, Daesh and other terrorist outfits.

ASP is currently operating out of Afghanistan and its targets for now are law enforcers so as to demoralise their departments, but its future targets can be shrines and bloggers, he added. “There have been reports that the organisation is foreign-funded.”

Khattab said his department was tracking the footprints of ASP and other similar organisations, adding that the new outfit was much stronger and if it was not stopped in Karachi, then it might expand its network to Punjab.