MANILA, Philippines — The Islamic State (ISIS) threat and presence has intensified in Southeast Asia in the past three months with plans to sow terrorism and bombings in select areas of Western Mindanao a US counter-terrorism unit said.

According to a report by the Lead Inspector General for Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines, the US counter-terrorism based in the country, there are at least 500 ISIS members in the country including local terrorists who are taking refuge in the Mindanao region.

According to a report by the US military, the ASEAN unit of the international terrorist group had small-scale suicide attacks capable of doing the same damage as suicide bombings in Sulu in the Mindanao region in recent months.

The report referred to the suicide attack on September 8 of this year in which a female suicide bomber attacked at a checkpoint in Indanan, Sulu.

It will be recalled that on September 24 of this year the military announced the arrest of a Swedish militant with a Turkish descent along with two female Muslim militants planning a bombing of Sultan Kudarat. (Marian Sinamban/IAMIGO/CNS)