The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. special forces help Philippines fight militants
Spy planes also aid in efforts to battle Islamic groups.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — U.S. special forces are helping Philippine troops fight Islamic militants in the southern city of Marawi, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said Saturday.
In addition, American spy planes are assisting in the effort to quell a nearly threeweek siege by Muslim militants in the southern city, where 13 Philippine marines were killed in the biggest single-day loss for government forces, officials said Saturday.
“The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines, and we will continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counterterrorism issues,” the embassy said in a statement.
A U.S. Navy P3 Orion plane was seen in cloudy skies above Marawi on Friday. The aircraft flew above rocket-firing Philippine helicopters that struck militant positions, causing plumes of smoke to billow skyward.
“We don’t have adequate surveillance equipment, so we asked the U.S. military for assistance. It’s noncombat assistance,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said by phone, citing a Philippine government policy that bars foreign troops from local combat.
The request for U.S. assistance came eight months after Duterte suggested he would end joint military drills with the U.S. — a response to then-President Barack Obama’s criticism of the extrajudicial killing of thousands of people in Duterte’s war on drugs.
President Donald Trump, has praised what he called Duterte’s strong leadership and invited him to the White House when the two leaders spoke by phone in April.
Officials at a regional security conference in Singapore last week voiced concern over the rising threat from Islamic fighters in Southeast Asia, home to about 15 percent of the world’s 1.57 billion Muslims. Defense Secretary James Mattis sought to reassure allies in the region, highlighting U.S. efforts to improve information sharing and to train Philippine counterterrorism forces fighting in the archipelago’s south.
On its website, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines in May described “12 days of training in the Philippine summer heat” involving Philippine troops and members of the U.S. armed forces. The 33rd “Balikatan” exercise involved preparation to respond to terrorist threats and natural disasters.
Duterte has pledged “harsh” actions against Islamic militants, especially in the southern provinces. As many as 400 foreign fighters are believed to be operating in the Philippines, according to Philippine Undersecretary for Defense Ricardo David.
Meanwhile, Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of public affairs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said 13 soldiers died and 40 were wounded in a 14-hour battle with Islamic militants in one of the villages around Marawi, in the southern island of Mindanao.
Philippine troops have been fighting the Maute group, which claims allegiance to Islamic State, in Marawi for more than two weeks. Mindanao was put under martial law to prevent the violence.