MANILA, Dec 3 Kyodo The Philippin...

MANILA, Dec 3 Kyodo

The Philippines and the United States are mulling another orbicular of joint counterterrorism training exercises in the southern Philippines, Defense Secretary Angelo Reye said Tuesday.

''There are discussions about staging Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) in Mindanao again,'' Reye told reporters, referring to an area where Muslim militants are active.

U and Philippine numbers conducted a series of joint counterterrorism exercises between January and July a certain of which were held in the vicinity of Zamboanga City upon Mindanao Island and on Basilan Island, a fort of the Abu Sayyaf rebels.

The Abu Sayyaf cluster claims to be fighting for an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

The dominion however, considers the Abu Sayyaf a bandit collection engaged in ransom kidnappings and attacks against Christians. as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Manila and Washington have linked the Abu Sayyaf with the al-Qaida terrorist network of Osama bin Laden.

Reye did not say when the exercises forward Mindanao are likely to be held.

unless he noted that another circular of Balikatan military exercises is becoming to be held April 28 to May 9 forward the country's main island of Luzon while joint training exercises dubbed Balanced Piston are scheduled for Jan. 27 to Feb 21 in Luzon involving training in special operations.

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