Indonesia, Philippines jointly patrol Celebes Sea to cut off militants

This handout photograph taken and released by the Indonesian National Armed Forces on June 19, 2017 shows (front L to R) Indonesia's military chief Gatot Nurmantyo, Malaysia's armed forces chief Raja Mohamed Affandi, and Philippines' Chief of staff of the armed forces Eduardo Ano, (back L to R) Indonesia's minister of defence Ryamizard Ryacudu, Malaysia's minister of defence Hishammuddin Hussein, and Philippines' Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana, signing agreements for the "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" in Tarakan, North Kalimantan. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines began joint naval patrols in their region on June 19 as threats from extremist groups increase. The "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" was launched amid continuing battles between Philippine troops and Islamist gunmen loyal to the Islamic State group, who have seized part of the city of Marawi in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

MANILA: The Philippines and Indonesia will jointly patrol 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.
Regional governments fear fighters sympathetic to the Daesh 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 United States 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.