Draft:Islamic State – Myanmar Province

The Islamic State – Myanmar Province or Katibah al-Mahdi fi Bilad al-Arakan (KMBA) is an Islamic State–affiliated group that primarily operates in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Background
Southeast Asia is rapidly emerging as a new front line in the fight against global jihadist terrorism. Islamist insurgencies are ongoing in the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and the South of Thailand. Due to Myanmar's strategic location at the confluence of India, China, and Southeast Asia, the emergence of an Islamic State insurgency in Northern Rakhine State would undeniably have profound implications not only for Myanmar, but the broader region.

Formation
Myanmar's Rakhine State has been at the epicenter of ongoing violent ethnic clashes between Buddhist Bamar people, and the Rohingya Muslims, whom the government of Myanmar officially denies citizenship. The persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority by the Burmese military has long featured prominently in propaganda released by Al-Qaeda and IS. Despite this, until recently, all of the armed groups in the region have been largely secular and nationalist in nature. In November 2020 a new Jihadist group emerged, calling themselves "Katibah al-Mahdi fi Bilad al-Arakan." They pledged allegiance to the former IS caliph, Abu Ibrahim, and declared themselves as the IS–Myanmar Province (Wilayat Arakan).

Propaganda
To date the group has released at least 2 propaganda magazines digitally. The first titled A Call To Hijra, encouraged jihadists globally to come fight in Rakhine State against the Myanmar military. The second issue was called Ahsan al-Qasas (the best of stories), and outlined religious justifications for jihad, and addressed various topics related to the groups interpretation of Islamic Law.