Seven Indonesian Sailors Kidnaped In Philippines
MEP: Indonesia said on Friday seven crewmen of a tugboat have been abducted after their ship was hijacked in Philippine waters, the latest in a string of abductions.
In a press statement to the media on Friday, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the kidnapped Indonesians were crew members of the tugboat Charles 001, which was pulling the barge Robby 152.
He said the abduction were carried out by two different armed groups in separate attacks in the Sulu Sea on Monday.
Philippine authorities could not immediately confirm the hostage-taking but said a Filipino woman held since September was freed on Friday by Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist militant group that has amassed tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings for ransom.
Marsudi added that the Indonesian government will try all options to free the hostages.
Ms Retno elaborated that the kidnapping happened at 11.30am and 12.45pm local time. This is the third kidnapping incident in the Sulu Sea involving Indonesian sailors this year.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has yet not confirmed whether a ransom demand had been made, or if the militant group Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions.
