Vietnamplus

At least six suspected terrorists were killed in two days of fighting between the Philippine troops and Abu Sayyaf militant group over the weekend in the Southern city of Sulu, said the Philippine military on November 25.

Ten Malaysian fishermen were kidnapped by suspected Islamic State-linked militants off Borneo island on June 18 and were taken to the southern Philippines, local police said.

The Philippines on November 10 agreed to allow Malaysia and Indonesia to carry out pursuits of Abu Sayyaf insurgents in its territorial waters.

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.

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on June 24 announced that seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped in waters off the southern Philippines.

The defence ministers of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia on June 20 agreed to explore all possibilities to prevent ship kidnappings and attacks.

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.

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

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.