Will the US send planes to destroy IS in the Philippines?

The Pentagon is considering a plan that would allow the US military to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) group in the Philippines.

The above information was just revealed by two US defense officials to NBC News.

IS is now a formidable enemy of the Philippines. Photo: Daily Mail

The source added that the right to attack IS in collective self-defense may be authorized as part of a formal military campaign likely to be named today (August 8). The airstrikes will be carried out by armed drones.

If approved, the US military could carry out airstrikes on IS targets in the Philippines identified as a threat to regional allies, including Philippine forces directly fighting IS in the country's southern islands.

The US military has shared intelligence with the Philippines for years, according to Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis.

“We have had a steadfast counterterrorism (CT) presence in the Philippines for the past 15 years,” he said.

A US Air Force drone equipped with a Hellfire missile and a large bomb at Kandahar base, Afghanistan in March 2016. Photo: Reuters

There is currently a small US military presence on the ground to support the fight against IS, known as Task Force Trident.

In Manila on August 7, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is providing the Philippine government with "intelligence capabilities" in the fight against IS, including "the transfer of a number of Cessna aircraft and (unmanned aerial vehicles) UAVs, which will give them better information to conduct the fight there."

According to Vietnamnet