Saturday, September 17, 2016

Abu Sayyaf releases kidnapped Norwegian for PhP30 million ransom

From InterAksyon (Sep 17): Abu Sayyaf releases kidnapped Norwegian for PhP30 million ransom



Abu Sayyaf band flashing trademark IS one-finger gesture prior to beheading a kidnapped subject in Sulu. File image from video frame screen-captured by SITE Intelligence Group

Reports reaching Manila indicated that the Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) released late Friday night their Norwegian kidnap victim Kjartan Sekkingstad at a remote village in Indanan, Sulu.

The area where Sekkingstad was released is one of the sites where government forces have been conducting a massive offensive against the ASG in the past few months, police and military intelligence reports said on Saturday.

A police and military intelligence report seen by journalists in Manila indicated that Kjartan Sekkingstad was released by his captors at around 10:30 p.m. Friday in the vicinity of Brgy. Buanza in Indanan, Sulu.

The intelligence report informed that Sekkingstad was set free after ASG received an estimated PhP30 million in ransom money.

The intelligence report said that the release was facilitated by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Commander Tahil Sali.

Sekkingstad was immediately bought to the house of Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, in the middle of an electricity outage.

Sekkingstad, along with Canadians John Risdel and Robert Hall, and Filipina Marites Flor, were snatched in late 2015 while they were on vacation at Oceanview resort in Samal Island in Davao del Norte.

A few weeks after the kidnapping, the ASG demanded ransom for the safe release of their kidnap victims.

The two Canadians were beheaded by the ASG after they failed to receive the ransom money.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132531/abu-sayyaf-releases-kidnapped-norwegian-for-php30-million-ransom

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