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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines: Army 'closing in' on abducted aid workers in south |
| 2009-01-28 |
| (AKI) - Philippines security forces have sealed off a vast mountainous area of Muslim-dominated southern Sulu where kidnapped aid workers, including Italian Eugenio Vagni, are reportedly being held, local TV channel GMANews reported on Tuesday. Unnamed officials said Vagni, and two other hostages and Islamist militants from Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf who are suspected of having kidnapped them are believed to be hiding in the town of Indanan. United States marines are helping Filipino security forces in the search operation, providing intelligence and unmanned US drones to fly over the area, GMA said. Five gunmen abducted Vagni, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba from their car on 15 January in Jolo, capital of Sulu, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf group, which is notorious for kidnappings and terror attacks. Vagni, Notter and Lacaba work for the International Red Cross. GMA quoted Philippines National Red Cross president, Richard Gordon on Tuesday saying he had not officially been informed of a ransom demand for the hostages' release and that the organisation had never paid a ransom for any of its workers. The kidnappers have demanded a five million dollar ransom for the hostages' release, according to local media. |
| Posted by:Fred |