MANILA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said on Friday that Australia offered to send military specialists to the Philippines to train Philippine troops on counter-terrorism, reiterating Australia's commitment to support Manila in combating Islamist extremism.
Payne, in Manila for a visit, met with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana inside a military camp. She and Lorenzana spoke to reporters after her meeting with Lorenzana.
"What we have discussed today is deployment of a small ADF (Australian Defense Force) team that might be able to provide some specialized training to the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines)," Payne told reporters.
"We would be, for example, able to provide that support within Philippine military bases, so, not deploying Australian troops, but working with training ... within Philippine military bases."
Payne said the details of the proposed training activities will still be threshed out by the AFP and ADF "to make sure that we put together an arrangement that works best for both of us."
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