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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf releases three hostages |
| 2016-12-15 |
| [Gulf Today] The Abu Sayyaf released three hostages - two Indonesian crewmen of a tugboat and a Filipino businesswoman - due to pressure from what the military called the intensified "search and destroy operation" launched against them by Philippine security forces. Military spokesman Filemon Tan said the two freed Indonesian hostages were the last two of the seven crewmen abducted by the Abu Sayyaf from an Indonesian tugboat while sailing off the Sulu Sea on June 22. He disclosed the militants turned over the two Indonesian hostages to the Moro National Liberation Front in the town of Patikul, Sulu on Monday but admitted he was not aware that a ransom has been paid. In a related development, an official of the National Bureau of Investigation reported that a group identified with the Abu Sayyaf freed Filipino businesswoman Clarita Belisario who was kidnapped while working at her gasoline station in the town of Linamon, Lanao del Sur in September. Jam Dimaporo revealed that Belisario was released after her family paid $3,400 to the abductors representing the fee for her "board and lodging" while in captivity, a euphemism for ransom. With the release of the two Indonesians, Tan said the Abu Sayyaf are still holding a total of 23 foreign hostages, composed of six Vietnamese sailors, five Malaysians, four Indonesians, one Dutch, one German and one Korean. |
| Posted by:ryuge |