Indonesia arrests 2 for sending fighters to Philippines

The arrests came amid fears that foreign terrorists are seeking to join groups in the Philippines as Daish is squeezed in Iraq and Syria.

Police said the pair -- identified by the initials M and W -- had been linked to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, an Indonesia-based terrorist group formed in 2015 from almost two dozen extremist groups that pledged allegiance to Daesh.

"They were assisting the departure process of terrorists from Jambi and Pekanbaru to the southern Philippines through Tolitoli, Central Sulawesi," National Police spokesman Martinus Sitompul told AA.

Foreign fighters are believed to be involved in fighting Filipino security forces in on the southern island of Mindanao.

Militants from Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf and Maute, a recently formed group that has also pledged itself to Daesh, seized parts of Marawi City on May 23.

Sitompul said M and W had attended bomb-making and firearms training on the outer islands of Java.

Hundreds of Indonesian army and police personnel have stepped up patrols along the coast facing the Philippines to prevent militants heading for Mindanao as well as catch any returning.

Parts of the Indonesian coastline are just five hours from the Philippines by boat.

Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Mulyono told Anadolu Agency: "We must be vigilant and strengthen the early detection of terrorist movements."