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Abu Sayyaf Abduct More Hostages in Southern Philippines
Terrorist group Abu Sayyaf early Saturday raided a hospital in southern Philippines and kidnapped more hostages in addition to the 30 already kidnapped in their hands.
Information reached Xinhua said that hundreds of armed Abu Sayyaf members went down from nearby mountains and raided a hospital in the compound of St. Peter church in Lamitan, Basilan province.
The military thought the terrorists were trying to take some doctors and nurses to take care of their fellows who were injured during fightings with government troops Friday in the jungles in the mountains.
The bandits telephoned to a local radio station, saying that over 200 doctors, nurses and patients in the hospital and some priests in the church are in their hands.
The military could not confirm the exact number of new hostages. A TV report said it is only 20.
The atmosphere in the Lamitan town is tense. The town has been completely sealed off. Troops are surrounding the church. Nobody could get closer than one kilometer from the church.
In the past week, Abu Sayyaf members had kidnapped 20 including three American tourists from a resort in western Philippine province of Palawan last Sunday and 10 fishermen later on their way fleeing to Basilan, some 900 kilometers south of Manila.
The government troops encountered with the bandits Friday, killed and injured a number of them. Two enlisted men were killed and more than 20 were injured including two civilians during the cross-fires.
The government promised a total of 100 million pesos (2 million U.S. dollars) of bounty for clues leading to the capture of 18 key figures of Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for kidnapping for huge ransoms.
Last year, the bandits kidnapped dozens in Malaysia and southern Philippines including some Western tourists. All of the hostages except one Filipino have been released after ransoms were reportedly paid or rescued in government military operations.
As to the latest abductions in the past week, the Philippine government reaffirmed again it will follow "no ransom, no negotiation" policy.
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