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The self-proclaimed Islamic State group is active worldwide. Where is it now?
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The self-proclaimed Islamic State group is active worldwide. Where is it now?

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Police have confirmed they are investigating the Bondi Beach terror attack as it is allegedly driven by the self-styled extremist ideology of the Islamic State (IS).
Authorities also revealed that the two suspected gunmen traveled last month to the Philippines, where jihadist groups continue to pose a threat.
Although IS no longer controls any country, the IS group still maintains a presence in several regions and is affiliated with several other terrorist organizations.
The Sunni Islamic extremist group controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019, when it suffered major losses, but maintains an “active presence” around the world, according to the federal government’s Australian National Security (ANS).

While at the height of their power in 2014, the ANS website says, extreme groups such as IS can still recruit and influence members through “compelling stories” online.

What we know about IS and the Philippines

The pair are said to have traveled to the city of Davao on the southern island of Mindanao, where they may have received military training from extremists.

The Philippines has a “long history” of separatist terrorist violence, according to Levi West, an ANU researcher who studies radicalization.

He explained that the southern islands of the Philippines are “overwhelmingly” Muslim compared to the rest of the country, which is predominantly Catholic.

“There is a whole range of different factions and sub-factions of jihadist Muslim organizations operating in the southern Philippines,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.
“In the early days of Jemaah Islamiyah, they had an advanced training infrastructure in the southern Philippines.”

Jemaah Islamiyah was first listed as a terrorist organization by the Australian government in 2002 and is described as a “Sunni Islamist religiously motivated violent extremist group”.

West said if the pair had been trained by a terrorist organization in the Philippines, they should have built relationships before traveling there.
“You can’t just go to the southern Philippines and show up at an ISIS-run training camp and ask questions; there’s a level of connectivity and a set of relationships that you need.”

The Annual Threat Assessment (ATA), a report prepared by US intelligence agencies, lists the Philippines as terrorist organizations linked to the IS group, but distinct from the regions where the country claims authority.

Where is Islamic State located?

The 2025 ATA lists six IS group provinces, which are not defined by sovereign borders or countries.
According to the ATA, these provinces are areas where the group claims authority.

Khorasan province, which the ATA described as the “branch most capable of carrying out external terrorist attacks,” is named after the historical region of Khorasan, which was in Iran. This branch of IS is located in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan and Central Asia.

An image of the self-proclaimed provinces and affiliated provinces of the Islamic State

Source: SBS news

The IS group has five other provinces across Africa.

The Province of West Africa and the Province of Sahel include the Lake Chad areas of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, as well as the border regions of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The remaining provinces consist of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which extends to parts of Uganda, Mozambique and Somalia.
The ATA distinguishes between these provinces and IS group-affiliated organizations, which are “reportedly active, albeit reportedly less than” the provinces.

These affiliated terrorist groups are located in Bangladesh, Libya, Egypt and the Philippines.

Radicalization across borders

While IS groups are geographically limited, radical ideologies can spread across physical borders through a “combination of social, psychological and technological factors,” said Awni Etaywe, a lecturer and researcher on terrorism at Charles Darwin University.
He told SBS News that perceived grievances, social polarization and disinformation can all be attractive to someone who could then become radicalized.
“Extreme organizations exploit online platforms, including social media, encrypted messaging apps and digital publications, to spread high-quality propaganda that appeals to identity, ideology and emotion,” he said.

“Videos, images, online magazines, and even video games are used to create compelling narratives that portray violence as justified, socially rewarding, or spiritually satisfying, while simultaneously portraying governments or communities as immoral or oppressive.”

Social media can facilitate the rapid and widespread spread of radical ideas, allowing recruiters to identify and influence ‘sensitive individuals’.
“As radicalization progresses, individuals may attempt to influence governments or parts of the community through threats,” Etaywe said.
“When someone begins to support or justify the use of violence to advance a cause, radicalization towards violent extremism becomes a major concern. Once someone commits to taking violent action, an actual attack can occur very quickly.”

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