Australia not sending troops to Mindanao

Australia will not deploy military troops to the Philippines, especially in Mindanao, where state troopers are battling Islamic State-linked Maute terrorists, Ambassador Amanda Gorely said on Tuesday.

"We'd like to make it clear that there will be no Australian military troops on the ground and there won't be boots on the ground in Mindanao or in the Marawi area," Gorely told reporters aboard an Australian navy ship docked at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila.