Kidnapped captain rescued

MaNILa: Philippine soldiers have rescued one of two Filipino cargo ship crewmen taken captive just two days ago by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, a security official said.

The troops recovered Aurelio Agacac, the ship captain, in the remote village of Basakan in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, said Colonel Juvymax Uy, commander of the military’s 104th Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan.

The kidnappers took Agacac and his companion Laurencio Tiro captive from a cargo ship off Basilan on Thursday, only hours after soldiers rescued two Malaysians held for eight months on a southern island.

Col Uy said the abductors were forced to abandon Agacac yesterday to delay the pursuing troops and evade a firefight.

“The victim looked alright,” he told reporters.

Col Uy said the soldiers had also captured a wounded suspect during the pursuit who died while being transported to hospital in Basilan.

He did not confirm that the kidnappers were Abu Sayyaf members.