Abu Sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf (ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, also known by its full name, Al Hamas Harakat Al Muqawamah Al Islamiyyah or simply Al Harakat Al Islamiyya, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that followed the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where Moro groups had been engaged in an insurgency seeking to create a Moro nation state. The group was responsible for the Philippines' deadliest terrorist attack, the bombing of the MV Superferry 14 which killed 116 people in 2004. The name of the group is derived from Arabic abu (أبو; "father of"), and sayyaf (سيّاف; "swordsmith"). As of April 2023, the group was estimated to have about 20 members, down from 1,250 in 2000.

The group carries out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion as their strategy. It has been involved in criminal activities, including rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage, drive-by shootings and drug trafficking. The goals of the group "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent".