Online radicalisation by ISIS and its affiliates is an escalating threat in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Strong internet penetration and widespread social media use amplify the risk, allowing radical ideologies to spread rapidly. This increasing digital threat poses significant security challenges for countries in the region.

Building on this, the ‘Southeast Asia angle’ in the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia points towards the worrying trend of localised radicalisation with regional linkages, connected at the wider level with Islamic State (IS) in the post-caliphate era. Investigators revealed that the two attackers involved in the Bondi Beach incident visited Mindanao, Philippines, before the attack, a region in the Philippines which has a history of Islamic insurgency movements. While the Filipino officials debunked any indication that the two received training in Mindanao, the Bondi incident is a grim sign of the presence of IS and radical elements in Southeast Asia.

The Bondi case demonstrates a defining feature of the post-caliphate era: lone wolves radicalised online. This self-reinforcing phenomenon is prominent in Southeast Asia. While organised terror groups have weakened, and major attacks have declined, the threat has shifted to online platforms. 

After IS’s territorial........

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