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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines deploys K9 unit to seek Abu Sayyaf hostages |
| 2014-10-08 |
| Philippine military forces have dispatched ten tracking teams, led by specially trained dogs, to locate the Abu Sayyaf who are holding up to seven foreigners for ransom in the jungles of Sulu. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said, "Our experienced K9 tracking teams will be able to easily locate the bandits wherever they go. We want to pressure them to eventually release the hostages. The military will not negotiate with terrorists and we will continuously pursue them deep inside their hiding places. The presence of the K9 teams would make our job easier." The K9 company was deployed after five battalions, including the entire 501st Infantry Brigade from Northern Luzon, or roughly 2,500 men, were deployed in the Zamboanga Peninsula against the Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf are believed to be holding a total of seven foreigners. On Tuesday, two Germans captives were allowed to speak with journalists on live radio and they appealed to the Philippine and German governments to work harder for their release. Last week, the Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead one of the Germans on October 17 if their demands for ransom were not met as well as the withdrawal of US troops in Syria and Iraq. |
| Posted by:ryuge |