Original sentence: Some experts contend this occurred under the influence of foreign Islamist groups such as al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, though many consider the evidence for such connections to be flimsy; such claims remain highly contentious
Edited sentence: Some experts contend this occurred under the influence of foreign Islamist groups such as al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, though the evidence for such connections is flimsy at best and such claims remain highly contentious