MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military has sent some 500 troops to Mindanao to augment the forces there amid threats posed by terrorists, an official said Sunday.
The government forces came from the 5th Infantry Division (5ID), composed of a brigade with two battalions, said Major General Benito Antonio de Leon, commander of the 5ID of the Philippine Army.
The soldiers who were deployed to Mindanao came from northern part of the Philippines. They were equipped with force protection equipment such as vests and helmets and Remington R4 assault rifles, the military said.
This was the second time that the 5ID sent troops to Mindanao. The first time was in January 2010.
While there was no presence of any member of Islamic State in the country, the government, however, admitted that there were sympathizers of the group in the country.
|
