Notorious terrorist Marwan resurfaces, allegedly recruiting Filipinos for IS, reports Manila Times

PETALING JAYA: Notorious Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, also known as Marwan, is reportedly recruiting Filipino Muslims in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao to join the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The Manila Times reported a Philippine National Police (PNP) intelligence officer as saying that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member and noted bomb expert Marwan, was one of four militants conducting recruitment there.

Marwan, who has a US$5mil (RM16.37mil) bounty on his head, and his group are reportedly targeting young Filipino Muslims to undergo training in Iraq and Syria before bringing them back to the Philippines to propagate IS doctrines.

The Manila Times said its source, whom did not want to be named, named JI members Quaim, Mawiya and Abu Saad as the other IS recruiters.

The source alleged that the three were currently hiding at an undisclosed location in Mindanao, and had been joined by another recruiter named Abdurahman from Saudi Arabia.

The reports on the activities of Marwan's group coincides with earlier reports that IS had infiltrated various locations in the southern Philippines. 

The source said that militants would give lectures to recruits, while others lured new members via the Internet.

The report said a 14-year-old boy claimed he was recruited by JI leader Abdul Basit Usman, who operates in Basilan, an island province within the Autonomous Region in Mindanao.

The boy said that he and other young recruits had pledged their allegiance to IS, and had been trained to promote the "holy war" by a fundamentalist group of imams or high priests.

He added that majority of the recruits are students, and about 10 of them had undergone secret military training in an undisclosed camp in Lanao del Norte, in the north of Mindanao.

The boy claimed that they were told to recruit more young Filipino Muslims who would eventually be trained as freedom fighters, and that they will be compensated with P100,000 (RM 7296) for every successful recruitment.

It further reported that another Malaysian JI member, Amin Baco alias Abu Jihad, is also doing recruiting for the IS.

According to Metro Manila, the reports on IS recruiting members prompted Muntinlupa City representative, Rodolfo Biazon, to push for a dedicated team comprising police and military investigators, to stop the IS recruitment efforts.

Biazon, who was former Philippines Armed Forces chief, reportedly said on Tuesday that the Philippine government should not ignore the IS threat.

"We have seen the brutality of the IS. We need to determine how they get support and effect recruitment so we know how to respond, especially now that the peace process between the government and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) is ongoing. Otherwise, the Bangsamoro will have a problem," said Biazon.

"We cannot ignore these reports because it has been said already that the IS is recruiting followers in Asia," he added.