IT was not whether, but when the Islamic State (IS), would appoint the successor to Isnilon Hapilon, following the death of the emir of IS Philippines on Oct 20 in Marawi City. There were conflicting reports as to who had been appointed as the new point man. But, by early this month, it became clear that Amin Baco, a Malaysian, has been designated as the new leader of Southeast Asia’s most embattled outfit, at the core of which is the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in southern Philippines.
Initially, another Malaysian, Dr Mahmud Ahmad, was believed to have been appointed as the “emergency emir”, but he was also killed by Philippine security forces. While the five-month Marawi siege ended with the deaths of key figures such as Isnilon and Mahmud, the Philippines police chief director-general Ronald Dela Rosa said it also led to the emergence of Amin as the new IS emir.
Initially, Amin was believed to have been killed together with some 40 other militants in the final assault on Marawi City by security forces. The Philippine police have confirmed that Amin is still alive. The 34-year-old Amin is from Tawau, Sabah.
According to a captured Indonesian terrorist, Muhammad Ilham Syahputra, who was detained on Nov 1, Amin succeeded in fleeing from Marawi City. Although surrounded with 30 other fighters in a mosque in Sabala Manao village and while negotiating his surrender, he managed to elude security forces.
Ilham claimed that he was with Amin throughout the assault on the army detachment in Piagapo City in Lanao del Sur, where he operated drones for Amin. It was Ilham who proclaimed Amin’s appointment as the new IS emir after Isnilon.
Of Bugis descent (from Sulawesi), Amin has established close links with the militants operating in the tri-border region of Sabah, Sulawesi and Mindanao. He married into a prominent Abu Sayyaf family on Jolo island in Sulu province. His late father-in-law, Hatib Sawadjaan, was head of the Abu Sayyaf faction, Tanum Group.
An expert bomb maker, Amin is believed to be a close protégé of terrorist Zulkifli Hir, alias Marwan. When the Philippine police’s Special Action Force launched Operation Oplan Exodus on Jan 25, 2015 to kill or capture three top terrorists, Marwan was killed. Filipino bomb maker Basit Usman, escaped, but was later killed. The third high-value target was Amin, who escaped.
Amin is believed to have operated in Mindanao since 2006 and had coordinated military attacks with ASG, according to a senior Philippine police intelligence officer.
Mahmud had described Amin as one of the masterminds and key fund raisers of the five-month Marawi siege that saw the Maute family team up with Abu Sayyaf and foreign fighters to set up a caliphate in southern Philippines. Hence, his high stature among militants in south Philippines, and probably a major factor in his rise as the new emir.
Amin has been wanted by the Malaysian, the Philippines and the United States governments for bombings in Basilan and Sulu, and for kidnapping offences. He is alleged to have masterminded the kidnappings of two Malaysians in November 2002. He is also believed to be involved in trafficking terrorists and firearms between South Philippines and Indonesia through Sabah.
A strong personality, his strength lies in his links with the tri-border region of Mindanao, Sabah and Sulawesi, and where he is linked to most militant groups operating in the region. He is also one of the longest-staying foreign terrorist fighters in south Philippines.
What increases his appeal as a leader is the fact that he is closely linked with various militant groups, either through birth in Sabah, marriage and operations in Mindanao or through his descent, training and operations in Sulawesi.
He is one of the most experienced combatants in Mindanao today. His credentials place him in the league of Zarqawi, a Jordanian who had close ties with al-Qaeda, operated in Iraq and later, created the foundation for the birth of IS. Amin probably poses the same threat today, partly due to his close militant linkages in Southeast Asia.
While the Marawi siege may have ended, many of the militants who fought or supported the operations are still around, probably in Jolo and Basilan, strongholds in south Philippines. With the emergence of a new emir, the new leadership would want to prove that it is worthy of leading the organisation that was once headed by Isnilon. RSIS
Jasminder Singh is a senior analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.