ISIS is looking to “franchise” terror on our doorstep

ISLAMIC State foreign fighters are actively seeking to “franchise” terrorism regionally, Australia’s top diplomats have warned.

EXTREMIST networks in Southeast Asia are being “re-energised” by Islamic State foreign fighters who were actively seeking to “franchise” terrorism regionally, Australia’s top diplomats have warned a Senate committee hearing.

The fear came as Defence confirmed it had 84 ADF personnel from all three services now in the Philippines specifically to combat a terror threat, including 20 soldiers on their first ever deployment led by seven senior personnel who had done more than a dozen combat tours elsewhere.

The Operation Augury troops are largely engaged in training Filipino forces in urban warfare counter terrorism tactics.

Australia had also now increased the redirection of its Filipino aid budget specifically to deradicalisation and poverty alleviation campaigns in the restive Mindanao region in Southern Philippines which last year featured the ISIS-led Marawi conflict that cost more than 1000 lives including 900 militants.

Filipino Government troops prepare to head to the frontline as fighting with Muslim militants in Marawi in July 2017. Picture: AP

Department of Foreign Affairs ambassador for counter terrorism Paul Foley told the Senate committee hearing that despite a 98 per cent depletion of their territory in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State continued to attract wide support.

He said specifically the “foreign fighter phenomena” posed a global risk with many still on the move and actively looking to franchise operations notably in South East Asia as they used what were still effective propaganda tools.

He said Australia was one nation very active in finding, tracking tend stopping its foreign fighters.

“The terror threat in the region is still regarded as significant and is likely to endure for some time with the emergence of ISIL (ISIS) several years ago, having energised a lot of extremist networks in the (Asian) region,” Mr Foley said.

“We saw a lot of foreign fighters from South East Asian head to Iraq and Syria and we saw the events in Marawi (Philippines) where ISIL was able to inspire a group of extremists to capture that city.”

Australian Army soldier Corporal James Cunningham, from the 3rd Brigade (centre-right), explains urban combat techniques to Philippine Army soldiers at Capinpin, Philippines, as part of Operation AUGURY. Picture: Department of Defence

DFAT’s top diplomat Frances Adamson added of Marawi: “Although a battle was won, a war continues and the devastation in Marawi so complete that it’s expected to take over a decade to rebuild.

“Our relevant agencies and departments are concerned at the potential for a rebuilding of the terrorist capability in that area.”

There were an estimated 110 Australian foreign fighters on the move, many suspected of hiding out inside Turkey.

It is understood one suspected terror supporter recently moved back to Western Sydney with his wife, who is related to a top Indonesian extremist leader.