Troops from the Philippines and the US on Monday began a series of 12-day joint annual "Balikatan 2018" military drills.
Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the drills will focus on interoperability training to address domestic and non-domestic security concerns, reports Xinhua news agency.
About 5,000 Philippines troops and 3,000 Americans are participating in this year's drills that will be conducted in several locations on Luzon island, authorities said.
A statement issued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said this year's exercises include "a fictional scenario, which will improve the planner's ability to command and control forces from a headquarters level".
--IANS
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