TARAKAN, Indonesia — Southeast Asian neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines began coordinated maritime patrols Monday to intensify their fight against Islamic militants who have laid siege to a southern Philippine city.
Defense ministers and military chiefs from the three countries launched the patrols in the Indonesian city of Tarakan in northern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia.
Indonesia’s military chief, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, said Maritime Command Centers were also opened in the cities of Tawau in Malaysia and Bongao in the Philippines. The information and intelligence-sharing centers establish designated sea lanes for ships in the seas along the countries’ borders to prevent Islamic State-allied militants in the southern Philippines from fleeing to neighboring nations.
The conflict in the Philippine city of Marawi has raised fears that the Islamic State’s violent ideology is gaining a foothold in the country’s restive south.