Australia to send more troops to Phl vs terrorists
Visiting Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne disclosed on Friday that Australia would send troops to assist Philippine forces in the ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorists in Marawi City.
Small contingents of Australian soldiers will be sent to train Filipino troops, Payne said during a press conference with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
“We are very committed to supporting the Philippines in its efforts to defend itself against terrorist threats,” Payne said.
“This is a threat to the region (that) we all need to work together to defeat.”
Lorenzana welcomed the offer of Australia to train Filipino soldiers to combat terrorism.
“I think it doesn’t matter really if they give us those token force but the effect of the kind of help that they give us is enormous. I think that’s what we need to talk about… bigger involvement or support from Australia,” Lorenzana said.
But he stressed that when the Australian soldiers are in the country, they will be staying inside military camps and will not be allowed to engage in actual fighting.
Payne and Lorenzana discussed various security issues in the region, including the brewing tension brought about by the threat from North Korea and the ongoing terrorist atrocities in Marawi City.
Under the agreed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), Australia has provided the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) two P3 Orion surveillance planes to help government forces track down and fight the Maute-IS terrorists in Marawi City.
Payne said her meeting with Lorenzana would further widen the defense and military cooperation between the two long-time allies.
“I think it’s important to recognize that this is in effect an engagement in long term cooperation… which is about recognizing that the challenge we face from terrorists in this region is going to be exacerbated by the potential of returning foreign fighters who have been in the Middle East in the midst of the most extremist terrorism behavior of the world has seen in a very long time,” Payne said.
She said these returning foreign fighters are battle hardened, well trained and are very determined.
To confront the security challenges from these terrorists, all forces in the region must deal with militants jointly, as she emphasized that each country in the region must invest in military cooperation and mutual engagement.
“We are very committed to supporting the Philippines in its efforts to defend itself against the terrorist threats not only because we support our friend, but because it is important for Australia as well,” she said.
The Maute terrorists attacked Marawi last May 23 and have held parts of it despite sustained ground attacks by hundreds of soldiers and daily pummeling by planes and artillery.
The southern Philippines has been marred for decades by insurgency and banditry. But the intensity of the battle in Marawi and the presence of foreign fighters fighting alongside local militants have raised concerns that the region may be becoming a Southeast Asian hub for IS as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria.
The Australian troops will compliment those from their country already sent to the Philippines to train local personnel, Payne said.
Philippine troops fighting IS-linked rebels in a southern city have encountered armed resistance from women and children who were likely family members of militants, the Philippine military said on Monday.
A spokesman for Payne said further details of the training contingent would be determined in coming days.
Lorenzana stressed that the AFP has sufficient troops to do the fighting against the terrorists in Marawi City.
“It would not look good if we will need foreign troops to fight the war here. We are happy with the assistance that we are getting from Australia, the P3 Orions. If they can send small detachment of Australian troops to stay in the bases to train our people maybe in information gathering, information analysis, that will be enough actually,” he said.