Abu Sayyaf may kill foreign hostages

COTABATO: The Philippine military’s air strike on the lair of militants that left 15 dead including a leader of local terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and two Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah put at risk the lives of Swiss, Dutch and Australian held hostage by militants in the southern Philippines. might resort to killing their captives, tourists Elwold Horn, 52, from Holland; Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, from Switzerland; and 53-year-old Australian Warren Richard Rodwell in retaliation for the deaths of their leader and colleagues.

“We know what they are capable of. Their swords are their law. The deaths of their leaders are too painful for them. We are crossing our fingers for them not to do it,” Al Haq said.

The two foreigners, both museum staffers in their respective countries and are involved in animal conservation, and their Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas, were reportedly abducted by five armed suspects linked to the Abu Sayyaf on board a pump boat in Panglima Sugala township on Feb. 1. Later, Sarenas managed to escape from the hands of their captors.

On the other hand, Rodwell, who previously worked as a teacher in China, was abducted on Dec. 5 in the town of Ipil in the restive province of Zamboanga Sibugay

The latest information obtained by government security forces showed that Rodwell was turned over by his kidnappers to Abu Sayyaf militants operating in the southern province of Basilan.

Air force planes bombed the lair in Parang town in Sulu province on Feb. 2, killing 15 militants including Gumbahali Jumdail, known as Dr. Abu, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader, and Jemaah Islamiyah ( JI) leaders Zulkipli Abdul Hir alias Marwan and Muhammad Ali alias Mauwihah.

The 380- strong Abu Sayyaf, founded in the early 1990s by Islamic extremists, is notorious for kidnappings, bombings and even beheadings in southern Philippines over the past decades.