Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines freed two Filipinos held captive for nearly three months, the country’s military said on January 19, the second release in within a week by the Islamic State-linked group.
The captain of a cargo ship of the Republic of Korea and a Filipino crew member were released on January 14 (Source: AFP)
Hanoi (VNA) – Islamist militant groupAbu Sayyaf in the Philippines freed two Filipinos held captive for nearly threemonths, the country’s military said on January 19, the second release in within a week by the Islamic State-linkedgroup.
It was unclear if a ransom was paid but thePhilippine military said its intensified operations against the heavily armedgroup likely forced it to release the captives.
Franco Alano, spokesman for the military'sWestern Mindanao Command attributed the move to the military’s enhanced force.
On January 14, Abu Sayyaf freed the captain of acargo ship of the Republic of Korea and a Filipino crew member held sinceOctober, 2016.
Abu Sayyaf, founded in the 1990s, has 400 militantsoperating in the southernPhilippines. They are notorious forkidnapping, bomb attacks and beheading hostages.
ThePhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to hunt down Abu Sayyaf and said hehas no plan to strike a peace deal with the group.-VNA
Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf group has released a Filipino hostage after about one year in captivity in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, the country’s military said on July 6.
Three Indonesian fishermen and a Norwegian citizen have been freed by the Abu Sayyaf militant group after three months in captivity in the southern Philippines province of Sulu.
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The captain of a cargo ship of the Republic of Korea and a Filipino crew member were released on January 14 (Source: AFP) 
