4 Indonesian sailors abducted in Tawi-Tawi

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - Four Indonesian nationals on board a tugboat were abducted by a group of armed men in waters off Tawi-Tawi on Friday evening, the military said.According to Major Filemon Tan, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), about five to seven armed men attacked Indonesian sailors on board T/B Henry in waters near Pondo Sibugal, Sitangkai past 6 p.m.One of the Indonesian crew was wounded in the attack, while four others were forcibly taken by the suspects, who fled on board a speedboat.The Joint Intelligence Task Unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said five other crew members who were unharmed in the incident, along with the wounded sailor, were able to cross the waters towards Semporna, Malaysia to ask for help.The tugboat carrying coal was sailing from Cebu back to Tarakan in Indonesian Borneo when the abduction occurred.The AFP said it is still investigating if the Abu Sayyaf Group is behind the abduction. No armed group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, as of writing.&quot;I cannot, as of now, identify who is behind this. That would be near speculation,&quot; AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told ANC. &quot;It&#x27;s hard to tell... There are so many groups that are doing so many abductions.&quot;Tan noted that there are also pirates operating in the area who might be riding on the kidnapping activities of the terrorist group.Last month, 10 Indonesian crew members on board a tugboat were also abducted by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf near the Malaysian border and reportedly taken to Sulu.On April 1, four Malaysian sailors were also kidnapped from a ship near Sabah&#x27;s Ligitan island. It is still unconfirmed who was responsible.Abu Sayyaf, known for kidnappings, beheadings, bombings and extortion, is one of the most hardline Islamist militant groups in the Muslim south of the largely Christian Philippines.According to the AFP, it will meet with Malaysian counterparts to discuss how to solve the continuing conflicts along the borders of the Philippines and Malaysia.Malaysia, meanwhile, has imposed a temporary ban on the trade route between Sabah and the southern Philippines in a bid to curb kidnappings.&quot;The government has suspended barter trade between the two regions until a comprehensive plan is formulated to ensure the safety and security of Sabah state. It is a temporary ban,&quot; marine police chief Abdul Rahim Abdullah told AFP.&quot;We have deployed marine police boats along with ships from the maritime enforcement agency and the navy to enforce the ban,&quot; he added.Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau&#x27;s (IMB) Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre, said the shipping community had expressed concern over the rise in attacks.&quot;Everyone is concerned as the attacks could hurt trade. Operating costs will go up if they were to use a longer but safer route,&quot; he said.&quot;IMB fears such attacks will continue to escalate. How can seamen defend themselves against militants armed with high-powered guns and fast boats?&quot; he added. - Reports from Raiza Dapilin, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga; Agence France-Presse

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - Four Indonesian nationals on board a tugboat were abducted by a group of armed men in waters off Tawi-Tawi on Friday evening, the military said.

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - Four Indonesian nationals on board a tugboat were abducted by a group of armed men in waters off Tawi-Tawi on Friday evening, the military said.

4 Indonesian sailors abducted in Tawi-Tawi | ABS-CBN

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4 Indonesian sailors abducted in Tawi-Tawi

4 Indonesian sailors abducted in Tawi-Tawi

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 16, 2016 12:10 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 16, 2016 03:40 PM PHT

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Indonesia

Philippines

Tawi-Tawi

abduction

kidnapping

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