Philippines, neighbors to jointly fight militants

MANILA - The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are planning to closely cooperate to halt the flow of militants, weapons, funds and extremist propaganda across their borders amid alarm over recent attacks in their region.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and his Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts gathered in Manila with top security officials on Thursday to discuss a joint plan of action amid a disastrous siege of southern Marawi City by militants aligned with the Islamic State group that has left about 369 combatants and civilians dead.

As the IS loses territory in Syria and Iraq, Southeast Asian governments worry that battle-hardened Asian fighters, including those from Indonesia and Malaysia, may return to exploit social restiveness, weak law enforcement, a surfeit of illegal arms and raging insurgencies to establish a foothold.

Many worry that the siege in Marawi could draw in the returning extremists.

"We expect that those who will be displaced there will go to Asia and because of the Marawi uprising, the Philippines is like a magnet," said Philippine Military Chief of Staff General Eduardo Ano, who took part in the closed-door security conference.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack in Marawi and said her government was ready to help.

"Your challenges are Indonesia's challenges and your challenges are also the challenges of the region," she said, adding that the threat of terrorism is imminent and that "no action is not an option."

A draft of a joint statement expressed "concern over the recent incidents of terrorism and violent extremism in their countries" and their desire to plot joint strategies to combat it.

The neighboring countries will also discuss how to cooperate in enhancing military and law enforcement training, compare their counterterrorism laws and help each other "counter the extremist narrative through education" and promotion of religious tolerance and moderation, according to the draft statement.

Islamist militants holed up in the southern Philippine town have been cornered and their firepower is flagging, the military said on Thursday, as the five-week battle for control of Marawi raged on.

The fighting in Marawi broke out on May 23.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera said on Thursday the number of militants holding out in Marawi had dwindled to "a little more than 100".

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Tampus said: "Their area has been reduced to 1 square kilometer only". Tampus' troops are blocking escape routes across bridges spanning a river to the west of the militants.

Ap - Reuters