* The KAMANDAG exercises between US and Philippines kicked off Monday and will go on until October 14
* Marines from both nations and South Korea stormed beach close to a disputed area in South China Sea today
* The drills were held just 150 miles off Scarborough Shoal, a territory seized by China in 2012 from Philippines
* The exercises aimed to improve Philippine military's coastal defence capability and invasion readiness
* It comes after China held a series of huge war games off coast of Taiwan which raised alarm bells
US and Philippine marines stormed a beach near a disputed rocky outcrop in the South China Sea on Friday as part of joint military drills involving more than 3,500 troops.
The KAMANDAG exercises - the Philippines' acronym for 'Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea' - kicked off Monday and will be held across the country's main island of Luzon until October 14.
Around 300 troops were involved in Friday's amphibious drills held on an uninhabited beach in Zambales province, about 150 miles east of Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.
Read more ....
Marines From US, Philippines, South Korea, and Japan Conduct War-games Near Disputed Reef In South China Sea
Philippines, US, Japan, S.Korea conduct joint drills -- NHK
Philippines, US Marines kick off large-scale drills -- Radio Free Asia
US, Philippine forces hold combat drills to brace for crisis -- AP
Marine Corps Kicks off Exercises in Japan and the Philippines -- National Interest