Manila yet to accept Australian assistance

Malcolm Turnbull says it's too early to speculate what support Australia will give the Philippines to fight against Islamic State militants.

Philippine troops have captured a key bridge

The Philippines defence force has been fighting Islamic State militants in Marawi since May. (AAP)

The Philippines is yet to accept Australia's offer to send special forces troops to help fight Islamic State militants.

Defence Minister Marise Payne will travel to Manila next week to discuss the conflict between rebels and security forces in Marawi.

Australia has offered Manila assistance with military capacity-building and training on top of the two surveillance planes already deployed there.

But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declined to speculate on the scope of any extra assistance.

"We do not want (IS) establishing a stronghold in Southeast Asia," he told reporters in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

"It is vitally in our interests to see that insurgency defeated."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten praised Australia's military as amongst the best in the world, and said Labor had a track record of offering bipartisan support on national security and counter-terrorism.

The Philippines defence force has been fighting IS militants in Marawi since May and foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria are being drawn there.

The conflict had displaced an estimated 400,000 people.


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Source: AAP


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