Joint patrols in waters off Mindanao to fight militants
SINGAPORE: Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia will launch joint patrols in waters off the Mindanao region this month to counter threats from Daesh, Malaysia’s Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
The minister made the comments at a security conference in Singapore as Philippine troops continued to battle militants who attacked the city of Marawi on Mindanao island nearly two weeks ago.
Hishammuddin said joint sea patrols in the waters bordering the three nations would kick off on June 19, with air patrols starting at a later date.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao in response to the crisis, describing the attack on Marawi as the start of a major campaign by Daesh to establish a foothold in the Philippines.
Security analysts say Daesh is planning to establish a “province” in the southern island of Mindanao as part of its efforts to set up a caliphate in Southeast Asia.
“If you talk about Sulu Straits (it) ... would involve Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines,” Hishammuddin told delegates to Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security summit.
“So within ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we decided at least these three countries, to avoid being accused of doing nothing, the three of us took the initiative to have the joint patrol... initiatives in the Sulu Straits,” he added.
Hishammuddin said Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have carried out successful joint patrols in the Malacca Strait bordering their countries to fight maritime piracy.
Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said the city- state stood ready to help Manila deal with the jihadist threat.
“There was clear realization... that if the situation in Marawi in Southern Philippines was allowed to escalate or entrench, it would pose decades of problems for ASEAN,” he said.
“We are fully on board on this threat.”