Philippine Group Threatens to Kill Hostages

A Philippine Muslim extremist group that snatched 20 people, including three Americans, from an island resort threatened Tuesday to kill all the hostages if it spots the military moving in for a rescue attempt.

The threat from the Abu Sayyaf militants came as the president vowed to crush the group and the military prepared troops to take action swiftly once it locates the kidnappers, who disappeared in boats speeding across the Sulu Sea after seizing the Americans and 17 Filipinos.

Abu Sayyaf plagued the government with a series of kidnapping standoffs that endured for months last year ¡ª including the abduction of tourists from a Malaysian resort. It has killed hostages in the past, including two teachers slain last year after the government declared war on the group. During the past kidnappings, the rebels often used privately owned RMN, based in Zamboanga city, to pass messages.

With the government clearly worried over the prospect of another grueling kidnapping, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Monday she would crush the rebel group.

But so far, the military has been unable to track down the kidnappers. Gunmen snatched the hostages Sunday morning from the Dos Palmas resort off Palawan Island in the southwestern Philippines.

Sabaya said Monday the gunmen had succeeded in eluding the massive military search in the region and, after dividing the hostages into two groups, had reached strongholds on islands in the Sulu and Basilan provinces of southern Philippines.

But the military said Tuesday it wasn't convinced that was true.

Arroyo on Tuesday declared a news blackout on details of military operations and urged journalists to stay away from any rescue efforts, pointing out that Abu Sayyaf took captive some media who went to cover a protracted hostage crisis.

Arroyo said she had a no-ransom policy and offered $2 million in rewards: $100,000 for each Abu Sayyaf leader and $20,000 for each member of the group involved in Sunday's kidnappings.

The Abu Sayyaf says it is fighting for a separate Muslim state in the south of the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country. But the government calls it a gang of outlaws thriving on kidnapping and piracy.










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