Joint patrols in Sulu Sea to target Daesh militants

singapore — Malaysia said on Saturday that it will work with the Philippines and Indonesia to conduct joint patrols in the Sulu Sea targeted at members of Daesh group.

Malaysian Defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the trio will begin joint sea patrols later this month, in the area bounded by Sabah and the southern Philippines, where militants intend to “establish a caliphate.”

Air patrols will start at a later date.

Responding to questions at an international security conference, Hishammuddin explained that Malaysia had conducted a similar operation in the Malacca Strait to clamp down on piracy.

“Different people there we’re dealing with, with regards to militants ... but wish us luck,” he quipped.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, which ends on Sunday, is attended by defence ministers and experts from 39 countries, including US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

In a wide-ranging speech, Hishammuddin touched on the rising threat that Daesh posed in Asia.

He said the Daesh’s “threat to our region is real. It is multi-dimensional, whether from returning fighters, regional franchises or more disturbingly, from selfradicalised lone wolves.”

“Many of the individuals involved (in attacks) were from seemingly good, even prosperous backgrounds or professions. This highlights the insidious nature of radicalization. We cannot generalize on who can turn into a lone wolf,” Hishammuddin said.

On Friday, Daesh group claimed one of its supporters carried out an attack on a casino in the Philippines in which 36 people died. The Philippine military has denied it was a terrorist attack. —