Malaysian police said on Tuesday five suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were killed in a shootout in the state of Sabah on the Malaysian portion of Borneo, state news agency Bernama reported.&nbsp;

The Abu Sayyaf group, whose members pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014, is based in the southern Philippines and is notorious for bombings, beheadings, extortions and kidnap-for-ransom activities.&nbsp;

Authorities in Malaysia have stepped up efforts to crack down on militant activity in recent years after an attack linked to Islamic State in the capital Kuala Lumpur in 2016 and others in neighbouring countries.&nbsp;

The five men killed in a Monday night shootout in a squatter area included Mabar Binda, an Abu Sayyaf sub-commander on the Philippine government's wanted list, the Sabah state police commissioner Hazani Ghazali said.&nbsp;

Hazani said police responded with gunfire after one of the suspects opened fire during the raid. Officers found two pistols, 20 rounds of ammunition and three machetes.&nbsp;

"With the fall of these five, the police are confident we have crippled one Abu Sayyaf cell hiding out in Sabah," Hazani was quoted as saying in the report.&nbsp;

The police had detained 83 people in Sabah between 2014 and 2020 for suspected links to Islamic State, Hazani said.&nbsp;

Sabah has long grappled with the threat of armed kidnappers taking advantage of the proximity and porous maritime borders between the southern Philippines and the Malaysian state.&nbsp;

The Philippines military said in March troops killed an Abu Sayyaf leader and rescued four Indonesian hostages held for a year since they were kidnapped from Sabah.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Malaysian police said on Tuesday five suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were killed in a shootout in the state of Sabah on the Malaysian portion of Borneo, state news agency Bernama reported.

Malaysian police said on Tuesday five suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were killed in a shootout in the state of Sabah on the Malaysian portion of Borneo, state news agency Bernama reported. The Abu Sayyaf group, whose members pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014, is based in the southern Philippines and is notorious for bombings, beheadings, extortions and kidnap-for-ransom activities. Authorities in Malaysia have stepped up efforts to crack down on militant activity in recent years after an attack linked to Islamic State in the capital Kuala Lumpur in 2016 and others in neighbouring countries. The five men killed in a Monday night shootout in a squatter area included Mabar Binda, an Abu Sayyaf sub-commander on the Philippine government's wanted list, the Sabah state police commissioner Hazani Ghazali said. Hazani said police responded with gunfire after one of the suspects opened fire during the raid. Officers found two pistols, 20 rounds of ammunition and three machetes. "With the fall of these five, the police are confident we have crippled one Abu Sayyaf cell hiding out in Sabah," Hazani was quoted as saying in the report. The police had detained 83 people in Sabah between 2014 and 2020 for suspected links to Islamic State, Hazani said. Sabah has long grappled with the threat of armed kidnappers taking advantage of the proximity and porous maritime borders between the southern Philippines and the Malaysian state. The Philippines military said in March troops killed an Abu Sayyaf leader and rescued four Indonesian hostages held for a year since they were kidnapped from Sabah. (With inputs from agencies)

Five suspected Abu Sayyaf militants killed in raid: Malaysian police  

Investigators probing the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/7-dead-as-bombs-hit-church-in-southern-philippines-193061">Catholic cathedral bombing that killed 21 people in the Philippines</a>' restive south said Monday a group tied to notorious Islamist Abu Sayyaf is the prime suspect.

Two explosions tore through the cathedral on the Muslim-majority island of Jolo, killing worshippers at Sunday mass and security forces in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Authorities said the so-called Ajang-Ajang faction is a small band of several dozen that most likely carried out the bombing, the Philippines' worst in years, in an act of revenge.

"Last year their leader was killed. There have been persistent reports that they will retaliate," regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana told AFP.

"Yes, we saw them in the CCTV. It was the brother of the leader who was killed," he said referring to footage from outside the cathedral. "He was seen with two other members of Ajang-Ajang."

Security forces say the group is composed of relatives of Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group members who have been killed in clashes with the government.

Abu Sayyaf, which is based on the remote Jolo island, has been blamed for the Philippines' deadliest attack, a 2004 ferry bombing in Manila Bay that claimed 116 lives.&nbsp;

'Revenge group'&nbsp;

"There are high-level law enforcement operations against them (Ajang-Ajang)," said Rommel Banlaoi, chair of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. "It evolved into a revenge group."

While Abu Sayyaf has sworn allegiance to Islamic State, that is not necessarily true for the motley members of Ajang-Ajang.

"Not all members of Ajang-Ajang group are pro-ISIS, but all of them are Abu Sayyaf group," said Banlaoi using another acronym for IS. "It's not IS-affiliated."

The IS claim, in a formal communique, said two suicide bombers had detonated explosive belts, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activities.

But a military report said a second bomb that went off at the cathedral was left in the utility box of a motorcycle in the parking area outside.&nbsp;

Police said they believe the explosives were likely detonated remotely but did not elaborate.

Despite the contradictions, authorities have not ruled out IS involvement.

Regardless of who staged the bombing, concern was growing Monday over the impact it will have on a decades-long push for peace that culminated last week in voters approving expanded Muslim self-rule in the south.

The vote was the result of negotiations started in the 1990s with the nation's largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and will give it considerable power over the so-called Bangsamoro region.

"This is a big challenge for the Bangsamoro government," said Banlaoi.

The former rebels need to show they will be able to pull the region toward peace in order to attract much-needed investment to alleviate poverty and counter extremism, he told AFP.

"MILF needs to prove it can make a difference... the gravity of the problem faced by MILF is wow, so overwhelming," he added.

'Squandered opportunities'&nbsp;

The church attack came despite President Rodrigo Duterte putting the southern Philippines under martial rule after pro-IS militants seized the southern city of Marawi in May 2017.

Government officials have argued that martial rule, which gives authorities extra powers, has been effective in taming the perpetually restive region.

Meanwhile, condolences poured in from around the world for the victims at the cathedral, which has been repeatedly targeted by grenade attacks that did not prove fatal.

Pope Francis, speaking in Panama, expressed his "strongest reprobation" for the violence. Once again, he said, "the Christian community has been plunged into mourning".

But experts were also worried about how the attack would impact the hopes for new development in the region, which were spurred by the self-rule vote victory.

"It's a terrible human tragedy, it's also a development tragedy," World Bank economist Andrew Mason told broadcaster ABS-CBN.

"When we see conflict areas, when we see ups-and-downs and negative impacts due to violence and conflict, what we see is also these are development opportunities that are squandered."&nbsp;

Investigators probing the Catholic cathedral bombing that killed 21 people in the Philippines' restive south said Monday a group tied to notorious Islamist Abu Sayyaf is the prime suspect.

Investigators probing the Catholic cathedral bombing that killed 21 people in the Philippines' restive south said Monday a group tied to notorious Islamist Abu Sayyaf is the prime suspect. Two explosions tore through the cathedral on the Muslim-majority island of Jolo, killing worshippers at Sunday mass and security forces in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Authorities said the so-called Ajang-Ajang faction is a small band of several dozen that most likely carried out the bombing, the Philippines' worst in years, in an act of revenge. "Last year their leader was killed. There have been persistent reports that they will retaliate," regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana told AFP. "Yes, we saw them in the CCTV. It was the brother of the leader who was killed," he said referring to footage from outside the cathedral. "He was seen with two other members of Ajang-Ajang." Security forces say the group is composed of relatives of Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group members who have been killed in clashes with the government. Abu Sayyaf, which is based on the remote Jolo island, has been blamed for the Philippines' deadliest attack, a 2004 ferry bombing in Manila Bay that claimed 116 lives. 'Revenge group' "There are high-level law enforcement operations against them (Ajang-Ajang)," said Rommel Banlaoi, chair of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. "It evolved into a revenge group." While Abu Sayyaf has sworn allegiance to Islamic State, that is not necessarily true for the motley members of Ajang-Ajang. "Not all members of Ajang-Ajang group are pro-ISIS, but all of them are Abu Sayyaf group," said Banlaoi using another acronym for IS. "It's not IS-affiliated." The IS claim, in a formal communique, said two suicide bombers had detonated explosive belts, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activities. But a military report said a second bomb that went off at the cathedral was left in the utility box of a motorcycle in the parking area outside. Police said they believe the explosives were likely detonated remotely but did not elaborate. Despite the contradictions, authorities have not ruled out IS involvement. Regardless of who staged the bombing, concern was growing Monday over the impact it will have on a decades-long push for peace that culminated last week in voters approving expanded Muslim self-rule in the south. The vote was the result of negotiations started in the 1990s with the nation's largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and will give it considerable power over the so-called Bangsamoro region. "This is a big challenge for the Bangsamoro government," said Banlaoi. The former rebels need to show they will be able to pull the region toward peace in order to attract much-needed investment to alleviate poverty and counter extremism, he told AFP. "MILF needs to prove it can make a difference... the gravity of the problem faced by MILF is wow, so overwhelming," he added. 'Squandered opportunities' The church attack came despite President Rodrigo Duterte putting the southern Philippines under martial rule after pro-IS militants seized the southern city of Marawi in May 2017. Government officials have argued that martial rule, which gives authorities extra powers, has been effective in taming the perpetually restive region. Meanwhile, condolences poured in from around the world for the victims at the cathedral, which has been repeatedly targeted by grenade attacks that did not prove fatal. Pope Francis, speaking in Panama, expressed his "strongest reprobation" for the violence. Once again, he said, "the Christian community has been plunged into mourning". But experts were also worried about how the attack would impact the hopes for new development in the region, which were spurred by the self-rule vote victory. "It's a terrible human tragedy, it's also a development tragedy," World Bank economist Andrew Mason told broadcaster ABS-CBN. "When we see conflict areas, when we see ups-and-downs and negative impacts due to violence and conflict, what we see is also these are development opportunities that are squandered."

Islamist militants prime suspects in Philippine cathedral bombing

A day after the German national J&uuml;rgen Kantner was beheaded by the Philippines terror group Abu Sayyaf, WION&rsquo;s senior international correspondent Padma Rao Sundarji spoke to Andreas Lorenz, a former colleague of hers at a prominent German magazine. Lorenz had been abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in 2000 and threatened with dismemberment if his ransom was not paid. He spent 27 frightening days in capitivity in the jungles of Jolo in the Philippines before finally being freed. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Q. Andreas, you were abducted by what you then called a splinter group of Abu Sayyaf in 2000. Take me through what happened? 
&nbsp; 
A. There were quite a lot of journalists on Jolo island because kidnappings had been going on. I think there were 10-11 hostages taken by Abu Sayyaf and two of them were a German couple, they were teachers from Goettingen. &nbsp;So the public was naturally very interested in their fate. And the interesting thing was that the Abu Sayyaf allowed journalists to talk to not only the kidnappers but also the hostages. Some journalists were even able to visit to the camp where the hostages were taken and held. So I also sent twice to the Philippines. At that time I was based in Beijing, but had experience of the Philippines because I reported quite often on that country. The second time I was there and was about to leave the island, I was approached by a young man whom I knew of as the assistant of one of the negotiators. There were a lot of negotiators around &ndash; from the government, from Muslim communities etc. This was the assistant of a very well-known Muslim preacher and teacher. He approached me and asked me to carry a letter from one of the German hostages Mrs Wallert to the German authorities and I agreed. That&rsquo;s how I walked straight into the trap set by Abu Sayyaf &ndash; they then took me hostage. &nbsp;

What could be have been their motive to abduct a journalist?

I think the only motive for abducting journalists or anyone was to get ransom money. To negotiate as much money as possible out of people who would like the hostages to be freed.

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<h5>I don&rsquo;t think waging a war or shelling or bombing them is the right way. If you look back over the last fifteen years, that didn&rsquo;t help. Even American troops were helping the Philippine army to fight Abu Sayyaf and what do we have? &nbsp;Basically the same situation as before. The only thing that might work and it&rsquo;s a long process is development aid</h5>
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Can you describe your days in captivity?

It was a total of 27 days I think so I was lucky that it didn&rsquo;t take too long and that my fate was not so horrible as other that of other hostages. It is exaggerated to call it that but it was a camp, somewhere very remote on the island of Jolo in the jungle. We had no tents, nothing. We slept under the skies. For breakfast in the morning, they gave me some horrible things I could hardly digest. Then I had the opportunity to read and even exercise, even to talk to my hostage-takers. Then a short lunch mostly noodles. In the evening they gave me some bread and the day was over. I tried to exercise, tried to talk to the people, to show them and to demonstrate to them that I was not very impressed by them and their threats. That was the average day.

Were you every beaten or threatened with physical violence?

No. I was lucky. I don&rsquo;t know why, but they never threatened or hit me or brought me into an unpleasant situation. In fact, some of them at least were even rather polite. The only threat was that they would cut off my arm if their ransom demand is not met. &nbsp;

In 2000, Abu Sayyaf was affiliated to the Al Qaeda. In later years, it became closer to the IS. What may have caused this change in affiliation?

Actually, I don&rsquo;t know. I found them to be rather an informal, loose gang of young guys with some older ones, fighters for the Mindanao independence among them. I must say that they were not very political. Of course they always argued politically - talking of a caliphate , a sultanate they wanted to create, that the Christian Philippine government was not treating them well. Their dream was their own state. But on the other hand, they were always talking about money. &nbsp;They were more like bandits, pirates than politically-motivated fighters. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Abu Sayyaf usually releases hostages if its ransom demands are met. In the latest case of the German hostage who was beheaded, obviously none was paid. Was the Philippine government wrong in chasing down the group, rather than negotiating the hostage&rsquo;s release?

I think they (Manila) did both. But you are right. It was overall a more radical approach and the new President of the Philippines seems to have only one solution: to fight them, to bomb them. He even said &ldquo;I will eat you alive&rdquo;. So to shell them with artillery over the last few days was not very helpful in negotiating a deal.

But what should President Duterte do to neutralise Abu Sayyaf?

That is the big question. But I don&rsquo;t think waging a war or shelling or bombing them is the right way. If you look back over the last fifteen years, that didn&rsquo;t help. Even American troops were helping the Philippine army to fight Abu Sayyaf and what do we have? &nbsp;Basically the same situation as before. The only thing that might work and it&rsquo;s a long process is development aid. You have to try develop these rather poor areas. You have to pour money into it, into schools, hospitals, roads, harbours. That is the only way. Because if you look at this guys, they are all very, very young men. &nbsp;They are jobless. They have no chance to study. They have probably been to school only for a couple of years. They have no opportunity to prosper in their lives. &nbsp;So they see Abu Sayyaf as the only means, the only method to at least get some money. If you cut off this choice, if you can at least give them a chance to lead normal lives in a normal situation, I am fully convinced that is the only way to neutralize Abu Sayyaf. &nbsp;

But Andreas, many young people from relatively well-to-do families have joined Al Qaeda, IS. So it doesn&rsquo;t seem to be about poverty alone. Ideology plays a role too&hellip;

Both go hand in hand in think. It was quite long ago but the way I experienced it: yes, they were from relatively well-off&nbsp;families, but that expression well-off is not what we understand of it. They were rather poor. The other problem in the area under question is that there are very close family ties there. There are clans. So if there&rsquo;s a very radical Abu Sayyaf fighter in a family, say your uncle or father, then young people are obliged to follow them, do what they want. And it is these lines that the Philippine government should somehow find a method, a solution to cut off. &nbsp;

How has it been possible that a small band of just about 500 fighters has managed to hold sway, indulge in piracy and abduct and kill for the past 26 years, given that it faces powerful armies &ndash; in the Philippines, Malaysia, all over the region?

Yes, it is like that. Even the Americans with their satellites and highly sophisticated methods of fighting a war were not able to win this war. And I don&rsquo;t think Duterte is right in saying &ldquo;I will eat you alive, I&rsquo;ll bomb you, fight you.&rdquo; The past has shown that this is impossible. In addition, this terrain is difficult, it is difficult to fight a war there or even find these rebels because they are very, very familiarized with the area. &nbsp;And because they have a lot of money from ransom, Because they have a lot of ransom money they have boats with very powerful engines. They can move around very easily in these seas. So what can you do? Do you want to send 1000s of &nbsp;more troops or warships? &nbsp;You can&rsquo;t do that, you will never win. I say you can only win this war if you give them some hope, some chances for a better future. So that these young people will start to ask themselves, why am I doing this? Running around, living a life in the jungle, all in the hope of getting some money from ransom to kill people. You have to bring them to schools, universities. &nbsp;Open them up to good professions. That is the only way to win.

Does South East Asia hold special interest for IS? After all, there are many rich Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Brunei here&hellip;

Yes, I think so. They have interest to find a foothold there, to hide there. And Abu Sayyaf was always helping IS and Al Quaida fighters to hide. At least the architect of the 1993 bombing of New York&#39;s World<a class="N0I8JtOk XO37Ta1d" href="#9844764" style="z-index: 2147483647;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by Advertisement"> Trade Center<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /></a>, Ramzi Yusef, &nbsp;was a guest of Abu Sayyaf. The Bali bomber too had close connection to these guys.

Were you frightened during your captivity?

The fear was there. I well remember that especially the nights were quite frightening. Because when darkness fell on this small camp, my kidnappers were visited by a lot of people whom I could not identify because I couldn&rsquo;t speak the language. But I always had the impression that they were discussing my fate. And that the mood could swing from one second to the other. So if there had been more radicals among these people arguing that it may be better to kill me, they would have done it. Later, &nbsp;it was confirmed to me that there had, indeed, been this discussion. Later and even after my magazine had paid my ransom and they released me, I was afraid that another group could still stop the whole process or, that I would be sold to another group now. That was quite frightening. &nbsp;

What are the basic precautions you would advise investigative journalists and their employers to take&nbsp;when they try to meet undergroup groups?

It may sound quite peculiar for a journalist but in the case of Abu Sayyaf, I would say &ndash; don&rsquo;t go. Don&rsquo;t maintain any contacts because these people are very dangerous and you can&rsquo;t trust anyone there. That is true also for the kind of people who were taken hostage in the last couple of years. They were not journalists but tourists, priests and others. My advice is: don&rsquo;t go to the southern Philippines. Not to sail, not to dive, not to swim, not to preach. This is a very dangerous area now. &nbsp;

But what about their employers ? Media concerns in fierce competition with each other?

I think it should be the decision only of the journalists themselves. This is not peculiar to Abu Sayyaf and southern Philippines but true of every conflict area in the world. Editors should never pressure journalists to go to an area he is reluctant to visit or meet a person he doesn&rsquo;t want to meet. He should have the benefit of the decision and be able to say: &#39;Don&rsquo;t do this story, it&rsquo;s too dangerous for me.&#39;

(WION)

Andreas Lorenz spent 27 terrifying days in captivity in the jungles of Jolo in the Philippines before finally being freed

A day after the German national Jürgen Kantner was beheaded by the Philippines terror group Abu Sayyaf, WION’s senior international correspondent Padma Rao Sundarji spoke to Andreas Lorenz, a former colleague of hers at a prominent German magazine. Lorenz had been abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in 2000 and threatened with dismemberment if his ransom was not paid. He spent 27 frightening days in capitivity in the jungles of Jolo in the Philippines before finally being freed. Q. Andreas, you were abducted by what you then called a splinter group of Abu Sayyaf in 2000. Take me through what happened? A. There were quite a lot of journalists on Jolo island because kidnappings had been going on. I think there were 10-11 hostages taken by Abu Sayyaf and two of them were a German couple, they were teachers from Goettingen. So the public was naturally very interested in their fate. And the interesting thing was that the Abu Sayyaf allowed journalists to talk to not only the kidnappers but also the hostages. Some journalists were even able to visit to the camp where the hostages were taken and held. So I also sent twice to the Philippines. At that time I was based in Beijing, but had experience of the Philippines because I reported quite often on that country. The second time I was there and was about to leave the island, I was approached by a young man whom I knew of as the assistant of one of the negotiators. There were a lot of negotiators around – from the government, from Muslim communities etc. This was the assistant of a very well-known Muslim preacher and teacher. He approached me and asked me to carry a letter from one of the German hostages Mrs Wallert to the German authorities and I agreed. That’s how I walked straight into the trap set by Abu Sayyaf – they then took me hostage. What could be have been their motive to abduct a journalist? I think the only motive for abducting journalists or anyone was to get ransom money. To negotiate as much money as possible out of people who would like the hostages to be freed. I don’t think waging a war or shelling or bombing them is the right way. If you look back over the last fifteen years, that didn’t help. Even American troops were helping the Philippine army to fight Abu Sayyaf and what do we have? Basically the same situation as before. The only thing that might work and it’s a long process is development aid × Can you describe your days in captivity? It was a total of 27 days I think so I was lucky that it didn’t take too long and that my fate was not so horrible as other that of other hostages. It is exaggerated to call it that but it was a camp, somewhere very remote on the island of Jolo in the jungle. We had no tents, nothing. We slept under the skies. For breakfast in the morning, they gave me some horrible things I could hardly digest. Then I had the opportunity to read and even exercise, even to talk to my hostage-takers. Then a short lunch mostly noodles. In the evening they gave me some bread and the day was over. I tried to exercise, tried to talk to the people, to show them and to demonstrate to them that I was not very impressed by them and their threats. That was the average day. Were you every beaten or threatened with physical violence? No. I was lucky. I don’t know why, but they never threatened or hit me or brought me into an unpleasant situation. In fact, some of them at least were even rather polite. The only threat was that they would cut off my arm if their ransom demand is not met. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf was affiliated to the Al Qaeda. In later years, it became closer to the IS. What may have caused this change in affiliation? Actually, I don’t know. I found them to be rather an informal, loose gang of young guys with some older ones, fighters for the Mindanao independence among them. I must say that they were not very political. Of course they always argued politically - talking of a caliphate , a sultanate they wanted to create, that the Christian Philippine government was not treating them well. Their dream was their own state. But on the other hand, they were always talking about money. They were more like bandits, pirates than politically-motivated fighters. Abu Sayyaf usually releases hostages if its ransom demands are met. In the latest case of the German hostage who was beheaded, obviously none was paid. Was the Philippine government wrong in chasing down the group, rather than negotiating the hostage’s release? I think they (Manila) did both. But you are right. It was overall a more radical approach and the new President of the Philippines seems to have only one solution: to fight them, to bomb them. He even said “I will eat you alive”. So to shell them with artillery over the last few days was not very helpful in negotiating a deal. But what should President Duterte do to neutralise Abu Sayyaf? That is the big question. But I don’t think waging a war or shelling or bombing them is the right way. If you look back over the last fifteen years, that didn’t help. Even American troops were helping the Philippine army to fight Abu Sayyaf and what do we have? Basically the same situation as before. The only thing that might work and it’s a long process is development aid. You have to try develop these rather poor areas. You have to pour money into it, into schools, hospitals, roads, harbours. That is the only way. Because if you look at this guys, they are all very, very young men. They are jobless. They have no chance to study. They have probably been to school only for a couple of years. They have no opportunity to prosper in their lives. So they see Abu Sayyaf as the only means, the only method to at least get some money. If you cut off this choice, if you can at least give them a chance to lead normal lives in a normal situation, I am fully convinced that is the only way to neutralize Abu Sayyaf. But Andreas, many young people from relatively well-to-do families have joined Al Qaeda, IS. So it doesn’t seem to be about poverty alone. Ideology plays a role too… Both go hand in hand in think. It was quite long ago but the way I experienced it: yes, they were from relatively well-off families, but that expression well-off is not what we understand of it. They were rather poor. The other problem in the area under question is that there are very close family ties there. There are clans. So if there’s a very radical Abu Sayyaf fighter in a family, say your uncle or father, then young people are obliged to follow them, do what they want. And it is these lines that the Philippine government should somehow find a method, a solution to cut off. How has it been possible that a small band of just about 500 fighters has managed to hold sway, indulge in piracy and abduct and kill for the past 26 years, given that it faces powerful armies – in the Philippines, Malaysia, all over the region? Yes, it is like that. Even the Americans with their satellites and highly sophisticated methods of fighting a war were not able to win this war. And I don’t think Duterte is right in saying “I will eat you alive, I’ll bomb you, fight you.” The past has shown that this is impossible. In addition, this terrain is difficult, it is difficult to fight a war there or even find these rebels because they are very, very familiarized with the area. And because they have a lot of money from ransom, Because they have a lot of ransom money they have boats with very powerful engines. They can move around very easily in these seas. So what can you do? Do you want to send 1000s of more troops or warships? You can’t do that, you will never win. I say you can only win this war if you give them some hope, some chances for a better future. So that these young people will start to ask themselves, why am I doing this? Running around, living a life in the jungle, all in the hope of getting some money from ransom to kill people. You have to bring them to schools, universities. Open them up to good professions. That is the only way to win. Does South East Asia hold special interest for IS? After all, there are many rich Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Brunei here… Yes, I think so. They have interest to find a foothold there, to hide there. And Abu Sayyaf was always helping IS and Al Quaida fighters to hide. At least the architect of the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center, Ramzi Yusef, was a guest of Abu Sayyaf. The Bali bomber too had close connection to these guys. Were you frightened during your captivity? The fear was there. I well remember that especially the nights were quite frightening. Because when darkness fell on this small camp, my kidnappers were visited by a lot of people whom I could not identify because I couldn’t speak the language. But I always had the impression that they were discussing my fate. And that the mood could swing from one second to the other. So if there had been more radicals among these people arguing that it may be better to kill me, they would have done it. Later, it was confirmed to me that there had, indeed, been this discussion. Later and even after my magazine had paid my ransom and they released me, I was afraid that another group could still stop the whole process or, that I would be sold to another group now. That was quite frightening. What are the basic precautions you would advise investigative journalists and their employers to take when they try to meet undergroup groups? It may sound quite peculiar for a journalist but in the case of Abu Sayyaf, I would say – don’t go. Don’t maintain any contacts because these people are very dangerous and you can’t trust anyone there. That is true also for the kind of people who were taken hostage in the last couple of years. They were not journalists but tourists, priests and others. My advice is: don’t go to the southern Philippines. Not to sail, not to dive, not to swim, not to preach. This is a very dangerous area now. But what about their employers ? Media concerns in fierce competition with each other? I think it should be the decision only of the journalists themselves. This is not peculiar to Abu Sayyaf and southern Philippines but true of every conflict area in the world. Editors should never pressure journalists to go to an area he is reluctant to visit or meet a person he doesn’t want to meet. He should have the benefit of the decision and be able to say: 'Don’t do this story, it’s too dangerous for me.' (WION)

WION speaks to German journalist kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in 2000

Malaysia&#39;s police chief said on Tuesday that five-tugboat crew missing since last week were abducted by the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for repeated kidnappings in waters between the two nations. 
 
The five Malaysians were kidnapped from their vessel on July 18 off the coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters. 
 
&quot;The five-tugboat crew have been kidnapped by the kidnap-for-ransom group from the southern Philippines,&quot; he said, confirming reports that had emerged over the past week. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf, a loose network of Islamic militants that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years, has been blamed for a recent burst of abductions. 
 
In April and June, the group beheaded two Canadian tourists after ransom demands were not met, and a Malaysian man was beheaded last year. 
 
In May, the Abu Sayyaf released 14 Indonesian sailors who had been kidnapped in two high-seas raids, attacks that prompted Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to launch joint patrols. 
 
Formed in the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. 
 
Its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say the Abu Sayyaf mainly focuses on lucrative kidnappings. 
 
Eastern Sabah is just a short boat ride from islands of the southern Philippines where government authority is weak and banditry common. 
 
Earlier in July, three Indonesians were kidnapped in the area, and in late June seven other Indonesians were taken. 
 
(AFP)

'The five-tugboat crew have been kidnapped by the kidnap-for-ransom group from southern Philippines,' said an official

Malaysia's police chief said on Tuesday that five-tugboat crew missing since last week were abducted by the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for repeated kidnappings in waters between the two nations. The five Malaysians were kidnapped from their vessel on July 18 off the coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters. "The five-tugboat crew have been kidnapped by the kidnap-for-ransom group from the southern Philippines," he said, confirming reports that had emerged over the past week. The Abu Sayyaf, a loose network of Islamic militants that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years, has been blamed for a recent burst of abductions. In April and June, the group beheaded two Canadian tourists after ransom demands were not met, and a Malaysian man was beheaded last year. In May, the Abu Sayyaf released 14 Indonesian sailors who had been kidnapped in two high-seas raids, attacks that prompted Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to launch joint patrols. Formed in the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say the Abu Sayyaf mainly focuses on lucrative kidnappings. Eastern Sabah is just a short boat ride from islands of the southern Philippines where government authority is weak and banditry common. Earlier in July, three Indonesians were kidnapped in the area, and in late June seven other Indonesians were taken. (AFP)

Abu Sayyaf kidnapped five sailors: Malaysia police

Gunmen kidnapped three Indonesian tugboat crew off Malaysia&#39;s eastern state of Sabah, police said today, the latest in a string of abductions in a region noted for kidnappings by Islamist militants. 
 
It was not immediately clear whether the men were seized by Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to Islamic State (IS) that is responsible for recent beheadings of western hostages and notorious for the extortion of millions of dollars in ransoms. 
 
The tugboat, with a crew of seven, was in waters off the east coast of Sabah on Borneo island, about 8 nautical miles from shore, regional marine police said, when it was attacked by armed men in a white boat late on Saturday. 
 
&quot;The suspects inquired who had their passports with them, and the three who did were taken into their boat, while the four who did not were left behind,&quot; marine police said in a media statement. 
 
The five armed abductors spoke in Malay and the local Suluk dialect, the police added. Police in Sabah are expected to hold a news conference later on Sunday. 
 
In Jakarta, the Indonesian foreign ministry said it had no information yet on the abductions. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf militant group has beheaded two Canadian nationals recently after its ransom deadlines expired. It is still holding men from Japan, the Netherlands and Norway. 
 
(Reuters)

It was not immediately clear whether the men were seized by Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to Islamic State

Gunmen kidnapped three Indonesian tugboat crew off Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah, police said today, the latest in a string of abductions in a region noted for kidnappings by Islamist militants. It was not immediately clear whether the men were seized by Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to Islamic State (IS) that is responsible for recent beheadings of western hostages and notorious for the extortion of millions of dollars in ransoms. The tugboat, with a crew of seven, was in waters off the east coast of Sabah on Borneo island, about 8 nautical miles from shore, regional marine police said, when it was attacked by armed men in a white boat late on Saturday. "The suspects inquired who had their passports with them, and the three who did were taken into their boat, while the four who did not were left behind," marine police said in a media statement. The five armed abductors spoke in Malay and the local Suluk dialect, the police added. Police in Sabah are expected to hold a news conference later on Sunday. In Jakarta, the Indonesian foreign ministry said it had no information yet on the abductions. The Abu Sayyaf militant group has beheaded two Canadian nationals recently after its ransom deadlines expired. It is still holding men from Japan, the Netherlands and Norway. (Reuters)

Gunmen abduct 3 Indonesians off Malaysian state of Sabah

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. 
 
The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. 
 
The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. 
 
&quot;Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed,&quot; he added without giving details. 
 
Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. 
 
Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. 
 
Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. 
 
The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. 
 
Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden&#39;s Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. 
 
Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. 
 
Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. 
 
&quot;Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them,&quot; Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered security services to go after Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic militant network formed in 1990 that beheaded two foreign hostages

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. "Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed," he added without giving details. Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. "Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them," Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. (Reuters)

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