Abu Sayyaf May 2026

The group is notorious for high-profile kidnappings of foreign tourists, Christian missionaries, and locals to fund its operations.

They are responsible for the Philippines' worst terrorist attack, the 2004 bombing of MV Superferry 14 , which killed 116 people. abu sayyaf

The group maintains resilience through deep-rooted clan ties and intermarriage, making it difficult for intelligence agencies to penetrate its inner circles. The group is notorious for high-profile kidnappings of

The group's professed mission is to establish an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines, governed by Sharia law. The group's professed mission is to establish an

Abu Sayyaf is widely considered the most violent of the separatist groups in the Philippines. Its activities often blend ideological warfare with criminal enterprise:

ASG has frequently executed hostages who failed to meet ransom deadlines, with notable victims including Canadian and American citizens.

Founded in the early 1990s by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani , a former Islamic scholar who fought in the Soviet-Afghan War.