The group was founded in 2012 by brothers Abdullah and Omar Maute, who were petty criminals at

the time.[11] The group was originally known as Dawlah Islamiya.[12] The group pledged allegiance to
the Islamic State in April 2015, along with the Ansar Khalifa Philippines terrorist organization, vowing
to provide support for each other.[11] However, according to former National Security Council senior
consultant Ashley Acedillo, there are no indications that ISIS ever acknowledged the Maute group's
pledge.[13]
A report published in October 2016 stated that the Maute group "has the smartest, best-educated
and most sophisticated members of all of the pro-ISIS groups in the Philippines.[14]
Philippine Army sources state that their initial encounter with the Maute group involved a firefight in
2013 when the insurgents attacked a security checkpoint the government troops were manning
in Madalum, Lanao del Sur. The group is thought to have over 100 members and were supplied with
equipment by a foreign terrorist.[10] They are said to be affiliated with Jemaah Islamiya,[5] a Southeast
Asian Islamist terrorist group.
Although some reports indicate that the Maute group is regularly seen carrying black flags bearing
the insignia of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,[4] Butig town mayor Ibrahim Macadato has stated
that the group is not affiliated with ISIS, but are merely armed residents.[15] However, training
manuals and other documents for militants under the Islamic State were recovered from their
captured camp, indicating that the group may be trying to link up with ISIS.[16]
Butig, the headquarters of the Maute group, is also a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front and both groups are tied by blood or marriage. Brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute are first
cousins of Azisa Romato, the wife of the late MILF Vice Chairman for Military Affairs Alim Abdul Aziz
Mimbantas, who is buried in Butig. The Maute brothers themselves were once members of the
MILF.[17]
As ISIS suffers setbacks in Syria and Iraq, experts warn that hundreds of fighters from Indonesia
and Malaysia will return to look for new opportunities to take the fight elsewhere, and the Maute
group's pledge of loyalty to ISIS could serve as an incentive to join ranks with the
organization.[18] Since at least 2016, reports on jihadist activities in the Philippines and of Filipino
fighters with ISIS indicate an increasing degree of coordination, cooperation, and cohesion between
Southeast Asian jihadist militants and the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.[19]

Activities
The Maute group is said to be actively recruiting minors for service as child warriors[20] and using the
non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law as propaganda.[10] In April 2016, they abducted
six sawmill workers from Butig,[21] two of whom were later found beheaded.[4] The group is also
suspected of being behind a failed bomb plot in close proximity to the US embassy in Manila in
November 2016.[22]

Davao City bombing

Main article: 2016 Davao City bombing
On October 4, 2016, three men linked to the Maute group were arrested in connection with the 2016
Davao City bombing. The men were TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, Wendel Apostol Facturan, and
Musali Mustapha. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Maute group had established
links with the Abu Sayyaf and that there are "indications" that the group is aligning themselves
with ISIS.[23] On November 28, the Philippine government finally officially acknowledged that Maute is
linked to ISIS in a live televised comment by President Rodrigo Duterte.[24]

Marawi crisis
Main article: Marawi crisis
On May 23, 2017, the Maute group attacked the city of Marawi in the Philippines. The attack resulted
in the destruction of homes, the deaths and wounding of soldiers, policemen, and civilians, the
torching of a mosque, and a hospital being overrun. The former leader of Abu Sayyaf, Isnilon
Hapilon was seen with the group during the attack. The attack resulted in President Duterte
declaring a state of martial law across the entire island of Mindanao with the possibility that it be
expanded nationwide.[25][26]

References
1. Jump up^ Franco, Joseph. "Mindanao after the Philippines presidential elections". Retrieved May
27, 2016.
2. Jump up^ "Maute Group / Islamic State of Lanao / Daulat Ul Islamiya / Daulah Islamiyah". Terrorism
Research and Tracking Consortium. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
3. Jump up^ Espina-Varona, Inday (March 10, 2016). "Alphabet of terror in Philippines' political boiling
pot". Catholic News Asia. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Unson, John (April 13, 2016). "Maute group beheads 2 captive sawmill
workers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Ho, Alex (February 26, 2016). "AFP overruns extremists' camp in Lanao, 45 killed
since fighting erupted". CNN Philippines. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
6. Jump up^ Maitem, Jeoffrey (March 1, 2016). "Army regains control of Lanao Sur town, drives away
ISIS-inspired group". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 27, 2016.