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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines arrests extremist in Malaysia resort kidnapping |
| 2014-04-24 |
| Philippine security forces on Wednesday arrested a Muslim extremist thought to have taken part in the kidnapping of 21 people from a Malaysian resort in 2000. Nabil Talahi Idjiran, a member of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who took part in a raid on Malaysia's Sipadan island, was arrested in the port city of Zamboanga in Mindanao, said Colonel Andrelino Colina, head of a special anti-terror task force. Colina said, "He was one of the members of the group that kidnapped them (the 21 hostages)." He added that Idjiran also took turns guarding the hostages who were taken across the sea border to the remote Philippine island of Jolo. The kidnapping of the 21, mostly Western, holiday-makers was one of the most brazen attacks by the Abu Sayyaf. The hostages endured months of captivity in the jungles of Jolo, about 515 miles south of Manila, until they were ransomed for millions of dollars. Colina said Idjiran is also thought to have taken part in another attempt to raid a resort in the southern Philippines in May 2001 that was foiled by its security staff. |
| Posted by:ryuge |