Boy, 7, kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a seven-year-old boy in a village in Jolo, Sulu on Tuesday, the military said yesterday.

The boy, a resident of Barangay Asturias, was playing outside their house when the militants snatched him around 5 p.m., said Ensign Chester Ramos, spokesman for Task Force Zambasulta (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi).

The suspects brought the victim to Barangay Anuling in Patikul, a suspected lair of the Abu Sayyaf.

Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said troops have launched a manhunt for the suspects.

It was the first kidnapping staged by the bandit group this year. Dutch birdwatcher Ewold Horn, Malaysian Marine police officer Kons Zakiah Aleip, Japanese Toshio Ito, Chinese Yahung Lim Tan and a few Filipinos remain in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.

Swiss birdwatcher Lorenzo Vinciguerra escaped from his captors while troops assaulted the militants last month.

There is no letup in military operations to rescue the remaining captives, Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Westmincom chief, said.

“The operation is ongoing, it has not been stopped. What the ground forces have been doing is a more focused intelligence gathering to track the exact locations of the hostages,” he said.

Guerrero said there had been no fresh information on the fate of the hostages, but ground forces believe the victims are still alive.