Vietnamese sailor rescued from Sayyaf

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Government troops yesterday rescued one of six Vietnamese sailors held captive by the Abu Sayyaf for almost seven months in the hinterlands of Sumisip, Basilan.

The rescued victim was identified as Hoang Vo, according to Col. Juvymax Uy, commander of the 104th Army Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan (JTFB).

Uy said Vo, who was slightly wounded, was rescued by troops at about 8:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Barangay Mahatalang, Sumisip town following an airstrike launched against the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Furuji Indama.

Uy said Vo took the chance to escape from his captors when they were dispersed by the airstrike and artillery fire.

“We continually put pressure on these remaining bandits in order to force them to surrender or release their victims,” Uy said.

Soldiers recovered Vo with a wound on his back. He was immediately brought to military headquarters in Basilan and transferred to Camp Navarro General Hospital for treatment and medical checkup.

Vo and his five companions – identified as Pham Min Tuan (captain of the vessel), Do Trung Hieu, Tran Khac Dung, Huang Trung Thong and Huang Van Hai – were seized aboard their boat M/V Royal 16 off Sibagu Island, Basilan last November by Abu Sayyaf gunmen following a hijack.

Uy could not immediately ascertain the situation of the five remaining captive Vietnamese sailors.

“Pursuit operation has been ongoing for the recovery of the rest of the hostages and neutralize the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf group,” Uy said.

On Thursday night, two Abu Sayyaf members involved in the cross border kidnappings were killed after they resisted arrest during a raid conducted by joint Marine and police operatives on a village in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), identified the dead as Hamid Mohammad and Altasil Lakbaoin, both followers of slain Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Abraham Hamid.

Galvez said troops of the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi and the composite police forces launched the operation against the remnants of Hamid’s group in Barangay Attubig Tanah.

Firefight erupted around 9 p.m. when the two bandits resisted arrest and engaged the operating forces.

Mohammad and Lakbaoin died on the spot during the shootout. There was no casualty from the law enforcement team.

Joint Marine and police forces intensified the operations in Tawi-Tawi to preempt the Abu Sayyaf from staging attacks.

Galvez believed the relentless military operations in the area will force the Abu Sayyaf group to surrender.

Galvez said since January, at least 83 Abu Sayyaf members have been killed in the all-out military campaign against terrorism in Western Mindanao. Out of the total number, 14 were killed in Basilan, 62 in Sulu and seven in Tawi-Tawi.