2 killed during Philippine troops’ rescue of hostages

MANILA: A soldier and a suspected militant were killed in a firefight on Sunday during the rescue of two Indonesian fishermen held captive for three months in the southern Philippines, officials said.

The hostages - Marahudin Lunani and Samion Bin Maniue - were unharmed in the rescue operation in Panamao town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, a regional military commander.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the hostages’ release and said that they would undergo a medical check-up and be repatriated.

The firefight erupted between soldiers and the kidnappers, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

“They clashed twice, leading to the killing of one Abu Sayyaf member,” he said. “We recovered his body and his firearm - an M16 with M203 grenade launcher. We lost one soldier and another was wounded.”

Lunani and Bin Maniue were abducted with another Indonesian fisherman, Muhammas Farhan, on September 23 off Lahad Datu in Malaysia, and brought to Jolo, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

Sobejana said Farhan was with the kidnappers during the firefight, but was not among those rescued.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said Indonesian and Filipino authorities were continuing to work on Farhan’s release.

Additional troops have been dispatched to rescue Farhan and a Filipino still being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf, Sobejana added.

“This is part of our relentless effort to rescue the remaining kidnap victims before the end of the year,” he said.

The Indonesian government said it appreciated the good cooperation with the Filipino authorities and expressed its condolence on the death of the Filipino military personnel.