MNLF: Fighters rescued 3 foreign captives of ASG

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has in its custody three foreign kidnap victims of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), its spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday night.

Emmanuel Fontanilla, spokesperson of the MNLF, said in a radio interview that the rescued foreigners include two Swiss nationals and a Dutch, but declined to reveal their identities.

Philstar.com had earlier reported that the ASG was holding at least five foreigners in Sulu, including Swiss national Lorenzo Vinsiguerra, Dutch national Ewold Horn, Australian national Warren Rodwell, Japanese national Toshio Ito and Indian national Biju Veetil.

Heavily armed men snatched Vinsiguerra and Horn while on a bird watching expedition in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi last February. The two were initially kept in an undisclosed place in Tawi-Tawi before their abductors turned them over to the ASG in Sulu.

Fontanilla said that the MNLF could not immediately disclose the location where they are keeping the rescued foreigners because they have information that several groups are "interested and want to get the foreigners."

"They are well protected," the MNLF spokesperson assured during the radio interview on Tuesday.

Fontanilla said that they were just waiting for MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari's arrival in Sulu before turning over the rescued victims.

"They are very safe and once Chairman arrives, we will turn them over to the government," he said.

Fontanilla said that the foreigners were rescued during clashes between their forces, led by Khabir Malik, and the ASG led by Radullan Sahiron in the jungles of Patikul.

He claimed that the MNLF fighters have been able to capture several ASG camps in Sulu.

Fontanilla also claimed that their fighters killed 23 members of the ASG and wounded nine more during the clashes. He said they also captured six bandits.

Fontanilla said during the interview that they have been negotiating for the release of Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani and his two Filipino TV crews, cameraman Ramil Vela and audio technician Rolando Letrero.

The bandits released the two Filipino crews, but declined to free Atyani, which sparked the clashes.