Troops rescue 2 Filipino hostages in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 19): Troops rescue 2 Filipino hostages in Sulu

Government security forces have rescued on Thursday two Filipino hostages from the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the province of Sulu.

Rescued were Dolcesimo Almires and Estaban Janamjam, according to the military’s Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS).

The task force reported that the two kidnap victims were rescued around 9:15 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu.

The JTFS said the kidnap victims were rescued while they were being transported by two Abu Sayyaf bandits to the municipality of Parang.

After their rescue, they were immediately taken to the headquarters of the JTFS in Barangay Bus-bus, Jolo for medical check-up and debriefing.

The rescued kidnap victims told the JTFS that they were kidnapped on October 25, 2016 in the seawaters of Pangutaran, an island municipality of Sulu.

They said they were kept captives by the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Jaber Susukan in Barangay Lumapid, Talipao municipality.

The JTFS said Almires and Janamjam will be brought to the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) for proper disposition.

The rescue of the two brought the number of hostages that are still in Abu Sayyaf captivity to 23.

They included the following: a Dutch, a German, four Indonesians, five Malaysians, six Vietnamese, and six Filipinos.

Government troops are continuously pursuing the Abu Sayyaf bandits in a bid to rescue the remaining hostages.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=956530