Australia’s advanced intelligence-gathering P-3 Orion aircraft will be flown over the southern Philippines to help in the fight against Islamic State-affiliated terrorist groups.
The defence minister, Marise Payne, says two RAAF P-3 Orion aircraft will operate in the Mindanao region where four Islamist groups, including Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group, are fighting, Fairfax Media reports.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the Mindanao region under martial law and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently stated the Islamic State problem needed more co-operation from regional governments.
Turnbull and Payne visited Singapore earlier this month for a security summit and promised Australia stood “ready to assist” the Philippines if there was a request.
Payne did not give details about operations or say from where the Orions would fly, but they could possibly gather aerial images and other surveillance, including mobile phone conversations.
“The regional threat from terrorism, in particular from Daesh [Isis] and foreign fighters, is a direct threat to Australia and our interests,” Senator Payne told Fairfax.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire island of Mindanao under martial law after a surprise Isis invasion of the city of Marawi began on 23 May. Nearly all 200,000 residents of Marawi have evacuated the city but beyond the checkpoints fencing it off there are still some 500-1,000 civilians trapped or being held hostage.
The seizure of Marawi by fighters allied to Isis, including some from the Middle East, has alarmed south-east Asian nations which fear the ultra-radical group – on the back foot in Iraq and Syria – is trying to set up a stronghold on Mindanao that could threaten their region.
The United States is already providing support to the armed forces of the Philippines to clear the militants from pockets of Marawi. Manila said this was technical assistance and there were no US “boots on the ground”.
Support includes aerial surveillance and targeting, electronic eavesdropping, communications assistance and training. American P-3 Orion surveillance planes have been seen operating over the town.
The cooperation between the longtime allies in the battle was significant because Duterte, who came to power a year ago, has taken a hostile stance towards Washington and has vowed to eject US military trainers and advisers from his country.
The Pentagon has no permanent presence in the Philippines but for years has kept 50 to 100 special forces troops in the south of the country on rotational exercises.
• Australian Associated Press contributed to this story
