Australia Joins Philippines’ Fight Against Islamic State-Linked Militants
< < Go Back
Two patrol planes will back Philippine troops fighting Muslim extremists on the southern island of Mindanao.
Australia is sending patrol planes to the Philippines—where it has long deferred to the U.S. on security issues—as it takes a more assertive role against terror threats in Southeast Asia.
Two Australian P-3 Orion aircraft will support Philippine troops fighting the Muslim-extremist Maute group on the southern island of Mindanao, Defense Minister Marise Payne said Friday.
The deployment marks the first time Australia has directly interceded in the long-running conflict in the southern Philippines. Just days earlier, it announced an aid package for people displaced by the fighting in the Mindanao city of Marawi.
More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):
Rss Feed