Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia to pool intelligence in cohesive crackdown on militancy in region

Manila

THE Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed on Thursday to pool intelligence and tackle militant financing as fears grow that protracted fighting in a southern Philippine town could be the prelude to an Islamic State infiltration of the region.

Foreign ministers and defence officials of the three neighbouring countries agreed to work together to share information, track communications and crack down on the flow of arms, fighters and money, amid what specialists say is the biggest security threat facing South-east Asia in decades.