US fears ISIL is looking to SE Asia for expansion

As its territory shrinks in the Middle East, ISIL is looking for new partners further afield.

Indonesian policemen stand guard outside the damaged Starbucks coffee shop in central Jakarta on January 17, 2016 following the deadly gun and bomb attacks by extremists on January 14, which killed eight people. Manan Vatsyayana /AFPShow less

SINGAPORE // ISIL is eyeing expansion into South-east Asia by joining forces with fanatics there, a senior US counter-terrorism official warned on Friday.

ISIL has a history of partnering with militant groups around the world, notably in Egypt, Libya and Nigeria, and wants to broaden its reach in the region, according to Justin Siberell, acting coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US state department.

“My understanding is that they have looked at groups across the region,” Mr Siberell said.

“There have been people who have pledged affiliation and allegiance to ISIL at the group level. We’re certainly concerned about that, we’re concerned about the rise of ISIL affiliates and we’re working with governments to do what they can to prevent that.”

Militants from South-east Asia fighting as part of ISIL in Iraq and Syria were deployed in a unit called the Katibah Nusantara, and could pose a threat when they return to their home countries, Mr Siberell said.

“We’re certainly concerned about ISIL’s ability to expand or to establish branches.”

So far, there have only been relatively minor attacks and plots blamed on ISIL affiliates in the region, but analysts fear that the group could become more effective.

Earlier this month, Indonesian police arrested six suspects over a plot to launch a rocket attack on an upmarket waterfront district on Singapore from the nearby Indonesian island of Batam.

The suspects’ alleged leader, Gigih Rahmat Dewa, is accused of planning the attack with Bahrun Naim, a leading Indonesian militant who is believed to be fighting with ISIL in Syria.

ISIL-linked militants launched a deadly gun and bomb attack in Jakarta in January that killed four attackers and four civilians.

On August 19, Singapore announced it had detained two men under its tough internal security law after discovering that they intended to travel to Syria to fight for ISIL.

Mr Siberell comments came after he travelled to Bali earlier this month for a meeting on preventing the cross-border movements of known or suspected terrorists. He also visited Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore.

* Agence France-Presse