Military launches intel ops

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military launched intelligence operations to trace the possible presence of three Malaysian fishermen abducted by gunmen off the waters in Sabah, a military official said yesterday.

Major Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said troops from the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi and Naval Forces Western Mindanao also established security points at all possible routes and passages of the kidnap-for-ransom groups operating in the borders of Philippines and Malaysia.

“Coordination and intelligence sharing and exchange with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) is now being done,” Tan said.

According to Tan, reports they received from ESSCOM disclosed that the three Malaysian fishermen were abducted about 11 p.m. Saturday in the general area off Pom Pom Island near Mataking Island Resort off Semporna, Sabah.

The gunmen, about seven of them, were on board a speedboat, powered by twinengine at 75 horsepower each, seized the victims and headed northeast in the direction of Alice Reef and Bulu-bulu Island of Tawi-Tawi.

However, Tan said there was no immediate report on the identity of the suspects or whether they are linked with the Abu Sayyaf group that operates the crossborder kidnapping.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has been on the run due to intense military offensives in Sulu, has not claimed responsibility for the latest kidnapping.