Joint navy patrols between Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia to cut off Sulu Sea corridor to militants
Foreigners involved in the Marawi attack in Philippines may have found a path through the Sulu Sea
Joint patrols by three Southeast Asian countries in the Sulu Sea may be the start of a larger regional effort to keep Islamic militants at bay, officials said Sunday.
The patrols will be conducted by forces from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, starting with sea operations from June, with air and land patrols starting at a later date.
The initiative in the Sulu Sea, an area bounded by the Malaysian state of Sabah and the southern Philippines, is a “collective agreement that is followed by the operational level,” Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said. It will feature joint command posts and exercises between the trio’s ground forces.
Joint patrols are an attempt “to prevent and protect our border, to close the border so that militants don’t go to other areas,” Ryamizard said.
“If the situation escalates and extends to other waters, we would like to request other countries to join.”
