Sopitje Salemburung, 60, shows a picture of her son, Peter Tonsen Barahama, who was taken hostage by militants who hijacked the boat he captained. Two further Indonesian ships were hijacked on April 15 (Source: kompas.com) Jakarta (VNA) – Four Indonesian sailors are being held hostage after their vessels were hijacked by a group of armed men between the Malaysian and Philippine waterways on April 15.
A statement from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on April 16 said that the two Indonesian-flagged vessels, Cristi and TB Henry, were on their way to Tarakan in North Kalimantan from Cebu in the Philippines.
Six out of the ten sailors on board escaped, with one being shot. All of them were rescued and brought to the Lahat Datu port by Malaysian maritime police.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said it is coordinating with the vessels’ owner to get more information about the incident, and is also in contact with Malaysian and Philippine authorities.
Ten other Indonesian sailors are currently being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf militant group in the Philippines after their vessels were hijacked on March 26.-VNA
