PhilippinesKey figures
Who is fighting
Philippines (Armed Forces and police) with the Bangsamoro government
- Philippine Army 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions
- Philippine National Police – BARMM
- Bangsamoro Transition Authority / MILF (peace partner; decommissioning)
- United States (counter-terrorism assistance)
Islamic State-aligned and splinter groups
- Dawlah Islamiya (Maute and Hassan factions)
- Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (Bungos and Karialan factions)
- Abu Sayyaf remnants (Sulu/Basilan)
- Islamic State (claims of affiliation)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Moro separatist insurgency in Mindanao began in 1972 under the Moro National Liberation Front. The MILF broke away in 1977 and fought until the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro; the Bangsamoro Organic Law of 2018 created BARMM in 2019 with an MILF-led interim government and a decommissioning process for its roughly 40,000 fighters. Islamic State-aligned groups rejected the deal: the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf seized Marawi in 2017 (a five-month siege), and remnants regrouped as Dawlah Islamiya factions, while the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters split into several factions.
Violence has since been low-level but persistent: ambushes on police and soldiers, grenade attacks, the December 2023 Mindanao State University bombing in Marawi (claimed by Islamic State), and clan feuds ('rido') overlapping with militant activity. Military-police operations killed dozens of alleged militants in 2025–2026, including Dawlah Islamiya leaders in Marantao (April 2026) and Sultan Mastura (October 2026). The region's first parliamentary vote, on 14 September 2026, was preceded by a firearms ban during which gun violence actually rose (39 deaths from mid-July to end-August per CEMS monitoring).
Recent developments
- 16 October 2026Four Dawlah Islamiya-linked men including sub-leader Yusa Ganoy killed during a warrant operation in Sultan Mastura; four high-powered firearms recovered. source ↗
- 19 September 2026Four armed men killed in Tugunan after soldiers respond to villager reports; 1,346 families displaced; affiliations (DI remnants vs BIFF-Bungos) disputed. source ↗
- 14 September 2026First BARMM parliamentary elections held with about 2.4 million registered voters amid a firearms ban. source ↗
- 10 September 2026VERA Files: 51 state-related killings in BARMM in Jan–Aug 2026 and 33 alleged Dawlah Islamiya members killed since Jan 2025; gun violence rose after the mid-July firearms ban. source ↗
- 18 July 2026Grenade attack on a military vehicle in Shariff Aguak injures two soldiers and three civilians. source ↗
Timeline
- 21 September 1972Martial law; the Moro National Liberation Front launches armed struggle in Mindanao.
- 27 March 2014Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed with the MILF.
- 23 May 2017Maute group and Abu Sayyaf seize Marawi; five-month siege kills over 1,000.
- 29 March 2019BARMM inaugurated under an MILF-led transition authority; Islamic State-aligned remnants reject the settlement.
- 3 December 2023Bombing of a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University, Marawi, kills four; claimed by Islamic State.
- 28 March 2026Ambush in Shariff Aguak kills five police officers; attributed to Dawlah Islamiya.
- 17 April 2026Police-military operation in Marantao, Lanao del Sur, kills 10 including alleged DI leader Amerol Mangoranca.
- 14 September 2026BARMM's first parliamentary elections held after four postponements.
- 16 October 2026Dawlah Islamiya sub-leader Yusa Ganoy and three followers killed resisting arrest in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao del Norte.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 107 | 107 | State-related killings in BARMM monitored by Sandatahang Dahas: 56 in 2025 plus 51 in Jan–Aug 2026; excludes clan feuds and ordinary crime and is a lower bound for the current phase. The 1972–2014 Moro conflict is estimated to have killed over 100,000 people (not included). verafiles.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | 26 | 26 | State agents killed in BARMM: 11 in 2025 and 15 in Jan–Aug 2026 (incl. five policemen at Shariff Aguak, 28 Mar 2026). verafiles.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | 44 | 44 | Civilians killed in state-related violence in BARMM: 25 in 2025 and 19 in Jan–Aug 2026. verafiles.org ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | Not consolidated. |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 51 | 70 | 51 state-related killings in BARMM Jan–Aug 2026 (VERA Files) plus the Sept–Oct 2026 clashes (4 killed 19 Sept, 4 killed 16 Oct) and an unknown share of late-2025 incidents. verafiles.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | 1,346 | – | 1,346 families displaced by the 19 Sept 2026 Tugunan clash alone; recurring short-term displacement in Maguindanao del Sur. astig.ph ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Not applicable. |
Intensity classification: VERA Files/Sandatahang Dahas monitoring: 56 state-related killings in BARMM in 2025 (25 civilians, 20 alleged insurgents, 11 state agents) and 51 in Jan–Aug 2026 (19 civilians, 17 alleged insurgents, 15 state agents); 33 alleged Dawlah Islamiya members killed Jan 2025–Aug 2026..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Philippines — Islamist militancy in Mindanao (Dawlah Islamiya, BIFF remnants)?
Philippines (Armed Forces and police) with the Bangsamoro government (Philippine Army 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions, Philippine National Police – BARMM, Bangsamoro Transition Authority / MILF (peace partner; decommissioning)), supported by United States (counter-terrorism assistance); against Islamic State-aligned and splinter groups (Dawlah Islamiya (Maute and Hassan factions), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (Bungos and Karialan factions), Abu Sayyaf remnants (Sulu/Basilan)), supported by Islamic State (claims of affiliation).
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 107 killed as of 31 August 2026. State-related killings in BARMM monitored by Sandatahang Dahas: 56 in 2025 plus 51 in Jan–Aug 2026; excludes clan feuds and ordinary crime and is a lower bound for the current phase. The 1972–2014 Moro conflict is estimated to have killed over 100,000 people (not included). Civilian deaths are put at 44. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Philippines — Islamist militancy in Mindanao (Dawlah Islamiya, BIFF remnants) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Low intensity — The 2014 peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ended the main Moro insurgency and created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM), which held its first parliamentary elections on 14 September 2026 after four postponements. Residual Islamic State-aligned factions — Dawlah Islamiya (Maute remnants) and splinters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters — still mount ambushes and bombings in Maguindanao and Lanao, and the military continues lethal arrest operations: a 28 March 2026 ambush killed five policemen in Shariff Aguak, and clashes in September and October 2026 killed four suspected militants each.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 29 March 2019, but the underlying conflict dates back to 1972 — 7 years, 6 months ago.
Sources
- VERA Files — BARMM to hold elections amid persistent state-related violence (Sept 2026) verafiles.org
- Philippine Star — 4 Dawlah Islamiya-linked outlaws killed in BARMM clash philstar.com
- Inquirer — suspected Dawlah Islamiya leader killed in Maguindanao clash newsinfo.inquirer.net
- Wikipedia — Mindanao State University bombing en.wikipedia.org
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Glostats. (2026). Philippines — Islamist militancy in Mindanao (2026). Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/philippines-mindanao-islamist-militancy/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/philippines-mindanao-islamist-militancy/">Philippines — Islamist militancy in Mindanao (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-19. How this tracker works.