Politics
18:21, 02-Jul-2017
Indonesia, Philippines hold joint patrol to cut off militants
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The navies of the Philippines and Indonesia will conduct joint patrol in the Celebes Sea this week to stop Islamist militants reaching the Philippines' restive southern island of Mindanao, where rebels have seized a city, an army spokesman said on Sunday.
The joint patrol is aimed at strengthening border security and improving interoperability, military spokesman Major Ezra Balagtey said in a statement. The two countries' warships will sail from the Philippines' Davao city on Thursday.
"The coordinated patrol is intended to strengthen the security of the Davao Gulf and the common boundary of the two countries in the southern archipelago, particularly along the Celebes Sea," said Balagtey.
Indonesia navy soldiers on warship and helicopter are seen during the launch of coordinated patrols to beef up security between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippine off the Tarakan sea, in Tarakan, Indonesia, June 19, 2017.
Indonesia navy soldiers on warship and helicopter are seen during the launch of coordinated patrols to beef up security between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippine off the Tarakan sea, in Tarakan, Indonesia, June 19, 2017.
Regional governments fear fighters sympathetic to the ISIL group will cross maritime borders from Malaysia and Indonesia to join rebels who seized Marawi City five weeks ago.
About 300 militants, 82 members of the Philippines' security force and 44 civilians have been killed in fighting.
The coordinated patrol is the third in the region in a month as pirates and militants step up attacks on commercial shipping.
The Philippines was joined by the US on Saturday to patrol southern Philippine waters. Two weeks ago, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines jointly patrolled their common maritime borders in the Celebes Sea and Sulu Sea.
The latest patrol will end next week in the Indonesian city of Manado on Sulawesi island.
(Source: Reuters)
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