Military conducting operations in Sulu where five Indonesians believed held by Abu Sayyaf

January 22, 2020

The military is conducting operations on areas in Sulu where the abducted five Indonesian fishermen are expected to be brought in by the Abu Sayyaf, the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday.

“We are now presently conducting operations on (areas) where we expect them,” said AFP Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Felimon Santos Jr in a press conference.

Santos said after the abduction incident last Friday, they had two encounters with the Abu Sayyaf where they recovered the speed boat used by the six abductors.

“We have already two encounters, we recovered the speed boat with one body count and we have another during the clearing operations with one body count also… but the... victim(s) were not there,” he said.

Last Sunday, Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi said eight Indonesian crew of a Malaysian fishing vessel were attacked by ASG somewhere in Tampisan in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

Three were released and rescued by the Malaysian government but five continue to be held by the Abu Sayyaf. Ella Dionisio/DMS