2004. The name of the group is derived from Arabic abu (???; "father of"), and sayyaf (????; "swordsmith"). as of April 2023, the group was estimated to have about 20 members, down from 1,250 in 2000.

The group carries out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion as their strategy. It has been involved in criminal activities, including rape, child sexual assault,