Us In Southern Philippines

China's military closely monitored and "drove away" USS Halsey that entered the territorial waters of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 10, the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement on Friday.

A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, as local authorities warned of a "destructive tsunami" and urged people in coastal areas to flee.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines Monday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of possible damage as a series of aftershocks shook the natural disaster-prone region.

US forces are providing the Philippines with technical assistance to end a siege of the southern town of Marawi by militants allied to ISIS but it has no boots on the ground, the Philippines military said on Saturday.

Thirteen Philippine marines have been killed in the battle for Marawi city, a military spokesman said on Saturday, a setback in the government's quest to retake the southern town from terrorists allied to ISIS.

The United States wants to remain involved in the campaign to quell Islamic militancy in the southern Philippines, its ambassador to Manila said Tuesday after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kick out American forces.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of US special forces troops from a group of islands in the southern Philippines, saying their presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners.

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake was detected at sea in the southern Philippines on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning issued.

Philippine security forces have captured two Abu Sayyaf militants in a southern city, including one who allegedly was involved in the kidnappings of an American teenage boy and an Australian man, officials said Tuesday.

A US-based human rights group has reported that a "death squad" that targeted criminal suspects in a southern Philippine city allegedly was organised by the former mayor and was responsible for nearly 300 killings over the past seven years.

China's military closely monitored and "drove away" USS Halsey that entered the territorial waters of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 10, the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement on Friday.

A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, as local authorities warned of a "destructive tsunami" and urged people in coastal areas to flee.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines Monday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of possible damage as a series of aftershocks shook the natural disaster-prone region.

US forces are providing the Philippines with technical assistance to end a siege of the southern town of Marawi by militants allied to ISIS but it has no boots on the ground, the Philippines military said on Saturday.

Thirteen Philippine marines have been killed in the battle for Marawi city, a military spokesman said on Saturday, a setback in the government's quest to retake the southern town from terrorists allied to ISIS.

The United States wants to remain involved in the campaign to quell Islamic militancy in the southern Philippines, its ambassador to Manila said Tuesday after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kick out American forces.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of US special forces troops from a group of islands in the southern Philippines, saying their presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners.

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake was detected at sea in the southern Philippines on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning issued.

Philippine security forces have captured two Abu Sayyaf militants in a southern city, including one who allegedly was involved in the kidnappings of an American teenage boy and an Australian man, officials said Tuesday.

A US-based human rights group has reported that a "death squad" that targeted criminal suspects in a southern Philippine city allegedly was organised by the former mayor and was responsible for nearly 300 killings over the past seven years.