ISIS-affiliated militants in Marawi are plotting attacks on Singapore and Asia.

Experts warn that ISIS-affiliated militant groups in the Philippines may be expanding their attack targets to Singapore and other Asian countries.

The Maute rebel group in the Philippines. Photo: Deccan.

A report released today by the Indonesia-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) says the Maute militant group, entrenched in the Philippine city of Marawi, may be preparing attacks on Singapore and other Asian countries, the Straits Times reported.

According to reports, the rebel group is led by Bahrumsyah, an Indonesian fighter currently fighting in Syria, and Mahmud Ahmad, a former Malaysian university lecturer. The group recruited fighters to carry out the Islamic State (IS)'s audacious plan to seize the city of Marawi in southern the Philippines.

"The fact that this group's operations in Marawi received direct funding from IS demonstrates a seamless chain of command from Syria to the Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries," the IPAC report emphasized.

IPAC experts believe that the battle in Marawi has boosted Maute's prestige in the eyes of ISIS and spurred the desire of young extremists in the region to join.

Therefore, the fighting in Marawi could lead to a high risk of violent attacks in other cities in the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia and Malaysia.

A recent order posted on the social media app Telegram called on militants to attack targets in Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, and China. This order is believed to have been issued by Bahrumsyah himself.

Bahrumsyah currently commands an IS fighting unit in Syria, whose members are mostly fighters from Southeast Asia.

According to IPAC, the conflict in Marawi will lead to closer cooperation between extremists in Southeast Asia, as well as the emergence of a new generation of leaders for ISIS-affiliated groups in Indonesia and Malaysia, including fighters who previously fought in Marawi.

According to VNE