Gunmen kill 2 captives in Lanao del Norte in S.Philippines

Gunmen killed two captives they seized last week in the province of Lanao del Norte in Southern Philippines, local military said Monday.

Capt. Arnold Gaslatan, spokesman for the military's 1st Infantry Division, said that the bodies of the victims were recovered Monday by troops in the town of Tangkal.

Soldiers under the 3rd Infantry Battalion were patrolling when they discovered the remains of the victims identified as Aliodin Manalo Rasban and Kaharo Rasban Pascual.

They were abducted by a group of armed men led by Akmad Makadaya last week.

On Saturday, Hadji Usop Lidangan, a trader, was also abducted in Iligan City by unidentified armed men.

Except for the case of Lidangan, Gaslatan ruled out involvement of Al-Qaeda affiliated militants in the incident, citing the motive was clan war.

In the south, clan war or rido is common among warring clans and sometimes the hostilities could last for decades until a peace pact is reached by protagonists, usually through mediation by religious leaders and the payment of blood money. Land disputes and political rivalries are among the most common causes of rido.

Source: Xinhua