MANILA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A team of Israel experts are in the Philippines to train Philippine troops in counterterrorism methods next week, a spokesperson from the Philippine Army said on Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said 10 antiterror experts from the Israel Defense Forces will train 175 officers from the army's elite units, including the Special Forces, the First Scout Ranger and the Light Reaction regiments, from June 26 to July 4 at a military camp north of Manila.
It will be the first time that Israeli antiterror experts will be training Philippine troops, according to Zagala.
In December 2017 and 2018, Australian experts also trained Philippine troops on counterterrorism techniques, especially urban warfare and close combat strategy.
Zagala added that Israel wants to share its "wide experience" in counterterrorism. "They want to impart the techniques that they have and at the same time they will introduce the technology they are using to combat terrorism," he said.
"Terrorism is very complex and requires international cooperation. The (home-grown) terrorists themselves are connected to international groups, they have links with international groups so it (counterterrorism effort) requires international cooperation," said Zagala.
After receiving the training, Zagala said the Philippine troops will impart the skills and knowledge they learned to their fellow soldiers. "They will relay what they learned to their units, so it's a trainers' training."
Army chief Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto said the holding of the training dubbed Counter-Terrorism Trainers' Training is part of the program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to hone and improve the antiterror skills of its troops.
"The Philippine Army sees the collaboration with other armies in addressing terrorism as necessary after its experience during the Marawi Siege in 2017," Alberto said, adding that "terrorism is a complex threat that requires international cooperation and the continuous exchange of knowledge and information."
Philippine security forces fought for five months when terrorists took over large parts of Marawi City in southern Philippines in May 2017 that led to sustained urban warfare, a technique that the troops were ill-prepared to fight.
More than 200,000 residents fled the city to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. The five-month armed conflict reduced the city to rubbles and killed more than 1,200 people.
