Military on alert for entry of ASG fighters, hostages
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2019 08:55:06 +0000
Military forces in the western part of Mindanao have been alerted on the possible entry of suspected Abu Sayyaf fighters with their 10 hostages they took off the waters of Malaysia.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the latest information they received was that the kidnappers and their hostages are on their way to Sulu after the kidnapping that occurred early Tuesday morning.
“We have directed our troops to be very vigilant while they are coming back to the western Philippines,” said Lorenzana.
News reports in Malaysia disclosed that the 10 kidnapped fishermen were among the group of 16 fishermen in the waters of Lahad Datu in Sabah which is under the control of Malaysia.
The fishermen were reportedly traveling toward another part of Malaysia at around 2 a.m. when they were intercepted by a group of armed men on board speedboats.
Six of the 16 fishermen were able to escape.
A Malaysian official was quoted as saying that the kidnapped victims are not Malaysians but foreigners who are holding documents allowing them to stay in Sabah.
Lorenzana, however, said that the victims are Malaysians. “They were kidnapped in Lahad Datu and are now on their way to Tawi-Tawi or Jolo,” said Lorenzana.
The ASG has been a security headache of the Philippine government over the years for its involvement in high-profile kidnap-for-ransom involving foreigners and the beheading of their captives.
The group was also involved in bombing attacks but its force started to dwindle since the death of its popular leaders like the Janjalani brothers. Its forces are currently concentrated in Sulu and Basilan. (Aaron Recuenco)