Southeast Asia is unprepared for the rapidly - rising number of extremist attacks , warns think tank The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict ( IPAC ) . It suggests the main danger is in the southern Philippines , where a few Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to ISIS ; the groups have links to other parts of the region , particularly Malaysia and Indonesia . ISIS has also endorsed a Philippines - based militant leader for Southeast Asia and widened its " extremist recruitment network " in the region , opening up channels for international funding and communication . It says as it loses territory in Syria and Iraq , it raises the risk of revenge attacks in Southeast Asia .
Southeast Asia is unprepared for the rapidly-rising threat of extremist attacks, warns think tank The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC). It suggests the main danger is in the southern Philippines, where a few Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to ISIS; the groups have links to other parts of the region, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia. ISIS has also endorsed a Philippines-based militant leader for Southeast Asia and widened its "extremist recruitment pool" in the region, opening up channels for international funding and communication. IPAC says as ISIS loses territory in Syria and Iraq, it raises the risk of revenge attacks in Southeast Asia.