MANILA - A POLICE official says suspected Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped the skipper and two other crew members of a fishing boat then called their company to demand ransom, in the latest reminder of the lingering danger of the battle-crippled terrorist group.
Police Director Felicisimo Khu Jr. says the three were fishing with other crew members off southern Sulu province Saturday when Abu Sayyaf gunmen aboard a motor boat approached and abducted them at gunpoint. The militants called the captives' fishing company the next day, apparently to demand ransom.
Mr Khu said Monday that the new kidnappings and a recent deadly bombing in Sulu indicate the danger posed by the militants despite their many battle setbacks and underscore the difficulty of fighting terrorism. --AP
