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| Southeast Asia |
| College students kidnapped in the Philippines |
| 2005-04-23 |
| Armed men have abducted 19 people, most of them university students, in the troubled southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Local anti-terrorism task force chief Brigadier General Ben Dolorfino says the suspects boarded a mini-bus carrying the students and later commandeered it near the town of Piagapo. Twenty-two passengers were initially taken, but three were later let go. No one has claimed responsibility for the abduction, but the area is a hotbed of Muslim separatists waging a decades-old rebellion in the south. "Initial reports are that this is a bandit group out to make a fast buck," Brigadier General Dolorfino said. He says three other students, two of them Muslims, who were freed by the gunmen told police that the suspects were armed with pistols and M-16 assault rifles. "Immediately after we received the information, we sent our troops to pursue the kidnappers and we initially recovered three victims," Brigadier General Amando Melo, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade operating in the area, said. "We are still investigating the case to determine the perpetrators of the incident. No ransom was relayed yet. Our pursuit operations continue." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |