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| Southeast Asia |
| Kidnappers linked to Abu Sayyaf |
| 2005-04-03 |
| The five gunmen who abducted three crew members of a tugboat near Pulau Mataking on Wednesday belonged to a kidnap gang associated with the Abu Sayyaf terror group. The Philippines National Police have the identities of the five as well as three other members of the gang and the Abu Sayyaf sub-commander involved. Tawi Tawi governor Sadikul Sahali said in an interview that the hunt for the gang and its captives was focused on the mountainous jungles of Languyan and Panglima Sugala in the southern Philippine island. However, Philippine troops and police combing the areas had yet to locate the gunmen and their captives, Bonggaya 91 tugboat skipper Resmiadi, 31, and seamen Erikson Hutagol, 23, and Yamin Labuso, 23. Meanwhile, Malaysian police are checking whether the gunmen were involved in the shooting of two fishermen near Lahad Datu two weeks ago and in other incidents. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |