US 'to launch airstrikes against ISIS in the Philippines' as terrorists overrun city
THE US is considering a campaign of deadly airstrikes on ISIS militants in the Philippines, defence officials reported.
The US are considering airstrikes against ISIS in the Philippines
The Pentagon may announce the decision later today as officials believe the jihadi’s are now threatening US allies in the region.
Currently, a small US military presence has been helping to co–ordinate ground troops in the counter–attack against ISIS fighters.
The US has had tight links to the Philippines and has shared intelligence for years, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis described it as a "steady state”.
He added: “We have had a consistent CT [counter-terror] presence in the Philippines for fifteen years now.”
Filipino government forces have been unable to defeat the militants, after deploying ground troops and launching airstrikes on the city that has a population of 200,000.
On Monday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson highlighted the ongoing counterterrorism cooperation with the Philippines and admitted to sharing “intelligence capabilities” against the common enemy.
Mr Tillerson said: “We are providing them some training and some guidance in terms of how to deal with an enemy that fights in ways that are not like most people have ever had to deal with.
"I see no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of other human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counternarcotics activities."
The Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte launched a bizarre warning to ISIS fighters last week.
Philippine national soldiers deployed to Marawi streets
The president launched an extraordinary tirade about the ISIS militants
ISIS militants have overrun certain areas of the Philippines
He said he would eat their organs in front of them with “salt and vinegar” in a tirade this week after the jihadis beheaded Vietnamese sailors.
Mr Duterte said: "I will eat your liver if you want. I will just add salt and vinegar, I will eat it in front of you.
“You want to be enslaved by these? Son of a b***h. Let’s just circumcise ourselves again.
“What are you really trying to prove with these actions? You take the name of Allah in vain?
“You use the name of God to kill people that way.”