Vietnamplus

Indonesian armed forces have decided to set up a special squad to assist the release of local hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf rebel group in the Philippines.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of the looming problem the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group poses to the country.

Malaysia has informed that the five sailors missing since last week were kidnapped by the Philippine insurgent group Abu Sayyaf.

Three Indonesian sailors were kidnapped by gunmen in Malaysia’s offshore waters where Abu Sayyaf insurgents have been accused of conducting several similar incident, said local police on July 10.

Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf group has released a Filipino hostage after about one year in captivity in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, the country’s military said on July 6.

The Philippine Government has allowed Indonesia’s military forces to enter its territory to rescue seven Indonesian sailors taken hostage by extremist groups last week.

Malaysia and Indonesia are working to improve security in the Sulu Sea and calling on the Philippines to take tougher actions against the Islam extremist group Abu Sayyaf.

The Philippine military spokesman Brigade General Restituto Padilla on June 26 confirmed the kidnapping of seven Indonesian sailors occurring four days ago.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino on June 15 said that a Canadian national and other hostages seized by Islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf in a remote southern island could be rescued.

The militant group Abu Sayyaf in the southern part of the Philippines killed a Canadian hostage after its ransom demand was not met, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The Abu Sayyaf rebel group in southern Philippines has threatened to execute four Malaysian hostages if they don’t receive ransom money in early May.

Foreign ministers and military chiefs of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed to conduct joint patrols to boost maritime security.

The Philippine police said on May 1 that 10 Indonesian sailors held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf insurgent group five weeks ago were freed.

At least 14 gunmen of the Abu Sayyaf group were killed in a military campaign against the terrorist group in the southern Philippine province of Sulu after the group beheaded a Canadian kidnap victim.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is expected to hold talks with military chiefs and foreign ministers from the Philippines and Malaysia this week on maritime security.

Indonesia will set up a crisis centre headed by President Joko Widodo to handle security situations involving its citizens overseas.

At least 18 Philippine soldiers were killed and 53 others wounded during clashes between government troops and the Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf group on Basilan island on April 9.

The Philippine army clashed with Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen believed to be holding foreign hostages on December 30, the military said.

The Philippines’ troops said on December 15 at least 13 Abu Sayyaf insurgents were killed while the government army had two lost and ten injured in a fighting in Basilan province, South Philippines.

The Philippines military on December 4 said the country’s security forces have detained a local suspected an Islamist extremist linked to the kidnapping of Malaysians in the Philippines.