Military identifies Abu Sayyaf captors of Samal hostages

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Government troops have identified some of the Abu Sayyaf members holding captive three foreigners and a Filipina, according to official.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, outgoing Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) commander, told the press the identities of the Abu Sayyaf members based on the verification conducted on the previous videos and documents gathered.

“These are Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf group members,” Guerrero told the press.

The Abu Sayyaf militants, in the 87-second video uploaded online, showed Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Filipino Marites Flor and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad

The armed men in black garb ordered their captive foreigners to make the appeal and issue the P1 billion ransom for each of them. One of the gunmen even held a machete above Ridsdel, threatening that hostages would be killed if their demand was not met.

Guerrero said some of the gunmen were also involved in previous kidnapping incidents, including that of German couple in Palawan in April last year. German couple Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrike Dielen were freed following reported payment of P250-million ransom on Oct. 17, 2014.

The military official said they could not confirm yet whether the victims are being held in Sulu and declined to comment on the reported ransom and negotiations.

Guerrero said relentless operations will continue until they have rescued the remaining hostages.