A Philippine terrorism expert has identified backdoors in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah and Manado in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province used by foreign militants to enter the southern Philippines to join Islamic State-affiliated groups.
The Defense Post recently reported Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research Professor Rommel Banlaoi as saying that up to 100 foreign fighters, mainly Indonesians and Malaysians, arrived in Mindanao after the battle for Marawi.
Banlaoi said some of the foreigners destined for Islamic State East Asia affiliates Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group had flown into Mindanao but were arrested at airports and deported.
