MANILA: The Philippines dispatched an estimated 1,000-plus extra soldiers to its troubled south on Sunday to strengthen security after militants threatened to kill one of two German hostages, the military said.

A military statement said an army brigade, a unit that usually comprises between 800 to 1,500 troops, was flown to the remote Sulu island group, where the Abu Sayyaf militants are believed to be holding the two German tourists.Two other army battalions meanwhile deployed in nearby southern areas, it added.

“This is a redeployment, which is anchored on our mandate to address internal and external security situations,” it said. Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had announced that, to “stop the Abu Sayyaf once and for all,” army troops will be dispatched to Sulu.