Two people abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen in Malaysia

Two people were abducted Thursday by gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf from a restaurant near Sandakan in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah, according to local news reports.

The Star, a local English newspaper, said that four men, one armed with an automatic rifle with bullets strapped on his chest and another with a pistol, burst into a local restaurant at about 8 p.m. and abducted the manager and a customer. "They fled in a boat. There wore no mask and there was no shooting," said the restaurant owner.

Security forces have gone on an immediate alert and were hunting for the gangs linked to the terror Abu Sayyaf kidnap groups that operate in southern Philippines. Endi