Islamic terrorism

==== Philippines ====
{{See also|Terrorism in the Philippines}}

The [[Abu Sayyaf|Abu Sayyaf Group]], also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, is one of several militant Islamic-separatist groups based in and around the southern islands of [[Philippines|the Philippines]], in [[Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]] ([[Jolo]], [[Basilan]], and [[Mindanao]]) where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for a state, independent of the predominantly [[Christians|Christian]] [[Philippines]]. The name of the group is derived from the Arabic ابو, ''[[ab (Semitic)|abu]]'' ("father of") and ''sayyaf'' ("Swordsmith").<ref name="24threlease">{{cite press release|title=FBI updates most wanted terrorists and seeking information – War on Terrorism Lists|date=24 February 2006|publisher=FBI National Press Office|url=https://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel06/mostwantedterrorists022406.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805113636/http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel06/mostwantedterrorists022406.htm |archive-date=5 August 2009}}</ref> Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, [[assassination]]s, [[kidnapping]]s and [[extortion]] in their fight for an independent [[Islamic state]] in western Mindanao and the [[Sulu Archipelago]] with the stated goal of creating a [[pan-Islamic]] superstate across [[southeast Asia]], spanning from east to west; the island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, the island of [[Borneo]] (Malaysia, Indonesia), the [[South China Sea]], and the [[Malay Peninsula]] ([[Peninsular Malaysia]], [[Thailand]] and [[Burma|Myanmar]]).<ref name="TKBAbu">{{cite web|url=http://tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=204|title=Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)|publisher=MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base|access-date=20 September 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060827045351/http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=204|archive-date=27 August 2006}}</ref> The [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]] has branded the group a terrorist entity by adding it to the list of [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|Foreign Terrorist Organizations]].<ref name="TKBAbu" />