PHL, Indonesia, Malaysia launch sea patrols vs. terrorism

TARAKAN, Indonesia - Warships from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia held maneuvers on Monday near a naval base in northern Borneo to mark the launch of coordinated patrols to beef up security in waters plagued by insurgencies and banditry.

Helicopters and surveillance planes flew overhead as ministers and army chiefs from participating countries attended ceremonies to launch the patrols that will beef up regional security following an attack by Islamist militants on Marawi City.

The Philippine military said that some of the Islamist militants, mainly local insurgent groups including the Maute who  have pledged allegiance to  an Islamic State managed to slip out with fleeing civilians during the Marawi siege.

"We need to watch out for the 500 to 600 terrorists there, 257 of whom have been killed already. The rest, based on information we are getting, are blending in with the refugees to get out," said Indonesian military chief Gatot Nurmantyo.

The collapse in security in the southern Philippines has alarmed neighboring countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesia has deployed three Sukhoi fighters to help shore up security in the region in case militants try to flee southwards towards Indonesia, the head of the Tarakan air base Colonel Didik Krisyanto told the state news agency Antara over the weekend.

Indonesia on Monday also inaugurated a maritime command centre in the naval base of Tarakan, a town in the province of North Kalimantan on Borneo island, witnessed by defense ministers and army chiefs from the three countries.

Maritime command centers to coordinate the patrols and information sharing will also be set up in Tawau in Malaysia's Sabah and Bongao in the Philippines.

"We see these (command centres) functioning as a triangle, like a spider's web, where everything inside the triangle will be monitored," said military chief Nurmantyo.

A port town, Tarakan is just south of the Malaysian side of Borneo and looks out across to Mindanao in the southern Philippines, a sprawling island that has suffered from hostage taking and piracy for decades.

"Maintaining marine security is the duty of ASEAN countries and not other countries," said Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, referring to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Singapore and Brunei also attended the launch of patrols as observers.

Indonesian naval authorities have also asked the locals including fishermen in border areas facing the Philippines to report any suspicious people in the area, Antara reported.

A police mobile brigade corp had also been sent to northern areas on Sulawesi island to prevent militants from crossing the border, it said. — Reuters