Although the Philippine government has been effective in dismantling training camps, it is likely that small extremist groups are still operating discreetly in the hills and jungles of Mindanao. The exact movements of the Akrams, a father and son who carried out a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, in Mindanao have not been detailed by Philippine or Australian authorities. However, it is believed that they may have received training or psychological reinforcement from extremist groups in the region. The Akrams’ ties to extremist circles in western Sydney, which were known to Australia’s counter-terrorism authorities in 2019, are being investigated. Experts say that the southern Philippines, particularly the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, is home to a number of training facilities and infrastructure for insurgency and guerrilla warfare. To access these facilities, the Akrams would have needed substantive relationships with insurgent groups. The region has a history of extremist activity, including a five-month-long siege by Islamic State supporters in Marawi in 2017. The Australian government has listed the Islamic State East Asia as a terrorist group and warns of a “very high threat of terrorism and kidnapping” in central and western Mindanao.
