More RP troops set for E. Timor

More RP troops set for E. Timor

MANILA (AFP): A third batch of Philippine troops is to leave for East Timor on Tuesday to join the international peacekeeping force, armed forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes said on Monday.

The latest deployment "upgrades to a battalion-size contingent" the number of Filipino troops serving under the Australian-led force in East Timor, Reyes said in a statement.

The group, consisting of 55 officers and 298 enlisted personnel, will be flown from Manila's international airport by a U.S. Air Force B747 plane, Reyes said.

The military doctors, engineers and nurses will join the 240 Filipino soldiers already serving in the territory.