Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)

About

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) split from the Moro National Liberation Front in the early 1990s and is one of the most violent terrorist groups in the Philippines. Influenced by al-Qa’ida early on, ASG claims to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. More recently, elements of the group have established ties to ISIS’s regional affiliate ISIS-Philippines. The group has committed acts of terror across the Philippines, including bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings for ransom.

On October 8, 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated ASG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Later, on September 23, 2001, ASG was listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224. As a result of this designation, among other consequences, all property, and interests in property, of ASG that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with ASG. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to ASG.