MANILA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The United States will deliver two surveillance planes to help the Philippine military in the ongoing fight against Islamist militants in the southern Philippines, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said on Tuesday.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel's headquarters, Kim said the two military aircraft are expected to be delivered "in a couple of weeks."
He said the two Cessna 208s are fitted with "very useful ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) instruments" that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can use in its war against terror especially in Marawi City and the rest of the southern Philippines.
Philippine security forces have been battling extremists linked with Islamic State (IS) who occupied the southern city May 23. The war has dragged on for nearly two months, and has so far displaced more than 460,000 residents and killed nearly 556 people, including 413 terrorists, 98 security forces and 45 civilians.
Kim also confirmed that the United States will help rebuild and rehabilitate the war-torn city.
Kim said at the request of the Philippine government, the U.S. deployed a Special Operations Forces troops in the southern Philippines to provide advice to AFP.
The Philippines is a treaty ally of the U.S., and their military alliance in anchored in the Mutual Defense Treaty that Manila and Washington signed in 1951.
Outside the United States, Australia also sent two of its intelligence-gathering AP-3C Orion planes to help the Philippine military fight against the terrorists in Marawi City.
