Mindanao
Mindanao, an island in the southern Philippines that has faced long-simmering Islamic separatist activity. The island, with a population of about 19 million, is home to about 6 million Muslims.

The Abu Sayyaf is a splinter group of a much larger separatist Muslim organization, the Moro National Liberation Front, that had been fighting the Philippine government for over 20 years. In 1996, the government and leaders of the Moro group signed an agreement establishing a special region covering 4 provinces on Mindanao and giving them limited autonomy. The rebel fighters laid down their arms and many were incorporated into the national police and local security forces.