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Released Abu Sayyaf hostages return to Indonesia
[CNN] Indonesian hostages kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines returned home on Friday. The four sailors were taken hostage at sea on April 15. They arrived in Jakarta on a military aircraft and were greeted by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.At a news conference, Marsudi expressed Indonesia's gratitude to the Philippine authorities. The hostages, who were also at the news conference, said they were glad their ordeal was over. Hostage Loren Petrus Romawi said, "The release process was long and tough but we faithfully believe it was our God who showed the way to our Indonesian government, and the army who bravely helped us in the process of releasing us." This month, ten other Indonesian hostages held by groups with suspected links to Abu Sayyaf were released, after a month-long ordeal during which a kidnapped Canadian was beheaded after a ransom deadline had passed. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding four Malaysian seamen as well as citizens from the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Norway and the Philippines. Posted by: ryuge 2016-05-15 |
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