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Abu Sayyaf free another Indonesian hostage in Philippines

Xinhua, September 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

The extremist group Abu Sayyaf released on Thursday another Indonesian they took hostage last month, a spokesman for the Philippine military said.

Army Maj. Filemon Tan of the military's Western Mindanao Command said in a statement that the freed victim, Herman Bin Manggak, had been released to the Muslim group Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

He said the MNLF, which signed a peace pact with the government in 1996, "handed (the victim) over" to the government around 11 a.m. Thursday.

Armed men abducted Manggak on Aug. 3 off Sandakan in Sabah, Tan said.

Manggak is the latest victim to be released by the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Last Saturday, the group freed three Indonesian fishermen they took hostage in Lahad Datu, Sabah in July.

The military said the victims were freed due to the ongoing military offensive in Sulu province in the southern Philippines.

A few hours before the release of the three Indonesian fishermen, the Abu Sayyaf bandits also freed Norwegian man Kjartan Sekkingstad they took hostage almost a year ago in Davao del Norte province in the southern Philippines.

The Abu Sayyaf executed two Canadian men who were kidnapped along with Sekkingstad in a posh resort in Davao del Norte in September last year. Endit