Decimated by two years of U.S.-backed assaults, the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf is reviving itself as the “Islamic Movement,” returning to fundamentalist roots and plotting urban bombings to lure recruits and foreign funding, security officials say. The Muslim extremist group, with a 13-year history of kidnappings-for-ransom and beheadings, appears to be trying to shed its image as a band of criminals and focus more on bold attacks facilitated by radical Islamic converts, authorities told The Associated Press. The boastful group forced its way back into the headlines by claiming it planted a bomb aboard a ferry gutted by a Feb. 27 fire after a loud blast, killing 100 people. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.