U.S. and Philippine troops held drills in the Tarlac province of the Philippines on Friday, as they continued their two-week long annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) exercises, while tensions over North Korea's threats mount in the Asia Pacific region.<br/> <br />Troops held live-fire exercises in Crow Valley, north of Manila, practising assault tactics with amphibious vehicles.<br/> <br />The U.S. military has said the drills were not targeted at any particular country.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY COMMANDER OF U.S. MARINE CORPS PACIFIC FORCES, BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD SIMCOCK, SAYING:<br/> <br />"These marines are more than capable of deploying anywhere in the region."<br/> <br />The bilateral military activities involve 8,000 U.S. and Filipino troops staging mock battles and simulating disaster responses, with the aim of improving inter-operability.
