Indonesia says it's looking to set up joint patrols with the Philippines and Malaysia to prevent Islamic militants who have laid siege to a city in the southern Philippines from entering its territorial waters. Indonesia's military chief, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, said late Monday that he and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu would meet next week with their counterparts from Malaysia and the Philippines on Indonesia's Tarakan island in northern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia. The conflict in the city of Marawi has raised fears that the Islamic State group's violent ideology is gaining a foothold in the Philippines' restive south, where Muslim separatists have fought for greater autonomy for decades. Maj. Gen. Ganip Warsito, the regional military chief overseeing the closest areas to neighboring Philippines said Indonesia army, navy and air force have deployed extra troops to boost security in the region. "So far, we have not found any indication of Islamic militants infiltrating from the Philippines to our territory," Warsito said.

Source: Fox News June 13, 2017 06:56 UTC