COMMENT | The Islamic State (IS) or Daesh has been suffering big blows in Syria where their fighters are fast losing control and losing ground. According to media reports, they are more or less wiped out as a formal authority and have been driven underground.

On the other hand, outside of Syria and especially in Southeast Asia, it would seem that they are still going strong. Every now and then, we see small groups in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and even Malaysia, that are active, either carrying out an attack or planning one.

Just last week, the Malaysian authorities arrested four men, Malaysians and foreigners, who were said to be planning large scale attacks on places of worship and also had the intention of assassinating several ‘high profile individuals’ in the country. It looks like their plans are foiled now.

According to the authorities, these small groups operating separately from the bigger IS organisation are fast becoming a danger. They comprise of four to six men and although they are affiliated with the bigger organisation, they are still distant enough that their arrest will not bring down everyone.

The four detained last week, for example, were linked with the Indonesian IS. Apparently, they used Telegram chat groups to stay in touch and communicate. This is quite consistent with the fact that the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah seems to be slowly re-emerging in the Nusantara islands.

Now, here’s the interesting part to me. These small groups of terrorists are known as ‘wolf packs’. This term has been coined and used by the authorities and also the media. It isn’t a new term. It has been used by the said authorities and media for quite a while now. The ‘lone wolf’ is another term and it refers to individuals who act alone.

Don’t any of you think that calling them ‘wolf packs’ and ‘lone wolf’ is just too cool? For a young man who is full of macho running through his veins and looking for a purpose in life, being a ‘lone wolf’ or running in a ‘wolf pack’ would probably be the epitome of cool...