MANILA, Philippines — There may be a resurgence of violent extremism in parts of Mindanao, according to a non-governmental organization, following the ambush that killed four government soldiers in the village of Lininding, Munai, Lanao del Norte on Friday.
The Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) which, according to its website is "dedicated to promoting sustainable and lasting peace by addressing the interconnected challenges of climate and conflict," said the attackpointed to an escalating security threat in and around the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), despite years of counterterrorism operations and peacebuilding efforts. Authorities have linked the assault to the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI),
In a statement issued over the weekend, CCAA said data from its Critical Events Monitoring System showed a sharp increase in violent extremist incidents, rising by 91 percent from 23 cases in 2024 to 44 in 2025. These incidents included armed encounters between DI and state forces that resulted in at least 30 deaths, the arrest of suspected financiers and drug dealers connected to extremist networks, and the recovery of high-powered firearms and explosives such as M16 rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and improvised explosive devices.
CCAA said it had observed sustained recruitment activity over the past two years, with indications that extremist groups were reestablishing a presence in parts of Lanao and Maguindanao and reappearing in areas previously declared free of Islamic state-linked groups. It cited a Nov. 15, 2025 clash in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur that killed alleged DI leader “Abu Jihad” and his wife, as well as intelligence and media reports following the Dec. 14, 2025 Bondi Beach attack in Australia that linked some of the perpetrators to a prior visit to Davao, Mindanao.
While cautioning against conclusions that could inflame religious or identity-based tensions, CCAA said the Munai ambush showed that recruitment and training activities were continuing, group membership was expanding, and operational capabilities had advanced to the point of mounting coordinated attacks against security forces.
The organization said the timing of the resurgence raised additional concern, with BARMM parliamentary elections approaching and the 2028 national elections on the horizon. According to CCAA, renewed extremist violence could destabilize fragile communities and erode gains made since the signing and implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreement.
The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday condemned the “cowardly ambush" by the Dawlah-Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) Col. Louie Dema-Ala, Army spokesman, said troops under Task Unit Tabang of JTF Zampelan were conducting a community support program, a “non-combat” effort to sustain military pursuits against terrorism. However, remaining members of the terrorist group wanted to recover the area hence, committing a “treacherous” act.
Dema-ala said the initial assessment of the reason for the ambush was to show the government that theg roup was still influential in the area.
