Al Fusan, a Tagalog-language jihadist media unit focused on the Philippines, has joined Fursan al-Tarjuma, a collective of pro-Islamic State (IS) media translation outlets that produce pro-IS propaganda in multiple languages.
The move was announced in a statement posted on a pro-IS RocketChat messaging server on 11 March 2024. The statement, published in English and Tagalog, said Al Fusan had now been brought “under [the] umbrella” of Fursan al-Tarjuma, joining the 17 other outlets that were already part of the coalition.
The merger sees Fursan al-Tarjuma expand its coverage of Southeast Asia, which had already featured an Indonesian-language capability in the form of At-Tamkin, which translates IS content into Indonesian.
Al Fusan later published an image that featured its logo alongside the logo of Fursan al-Tarjuma, emphasising the merger.
The announcement saw Al Fusan establish new accounts on Telegram, Element, Facebook and Whatsapp to promote its content. Within days, the Facebook account became inaccessible. In addition, Al Fusan now has its own standalone channel on the pro-IS RocketChat server, created days before the official announcement of the merger was made.
Since the merger, Al Fusan has been translating news of IS-related developments into Tagalog. This includes statements on IS activities in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique, bringing IS-related news to a Filipino audience.
Some of these statements have contained Al Fusan’s own branding, which highlights how the outlet remains supporter-led and is not part of any official IS media operation.
Since it joined Fursan al-Tarjuma, Al Fusan has also published news on the Philippines. On 13 March 2024, it published a propaganda video that appeared to be a compilation of footage and imagery of recent attacks and statements made by pro-IS militants in the southern Philippines. The video featured imagery that suggested the militants are located in the municipality of Munai, Lanao del Norte province, on the island of Mindanao.
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