Three Indonesian fishermen abducted by members of an Islamist group have been freed 18 months after they were abducted in waters off the southern Philippines, the Philippine military said on September 16.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Photo: AP)
Hanoi (VNA) - Three Indonesian fishermen abducted by members of an Islamist group have been freed 18 months after they were abducted in waters off the southern Philippines, the Philippine military said on September 16.
Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the men were rescued in a remote village in Indanan of Sulu province.
They were kidnapped in January 2017 while on board a speedboat off the southernmost island group of Tawi-Tawi.
The men were transferred to a local hospital for medical examination before being brought to the headquarters of the West Mindanao Command in Zamboanga city. They will be turned over to the Indonesian Ambassador in the Philippines.
Besana affirmed the rescue of the hostages was part of armed forces’ operations and there was no ransom payment.
Philippine police said the operation took place on September 14, with the help of the Moro National Liberation Front, a rebel group that has signed a peace deal with the Philippine government.
Though the name of the group was not mentioned, the kidnapping is suspected to have been carried out by Abu Sayyaf, a terror group active in the west of Mindanao island and Sulu archipelago.
Abu Sayyaf is an insurgent group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and has carried out kidnappings and bombings in the Philippines.
It also helped militants of the Maute group attack Marawi city in May 2017, starting a long-running battle against the government, with more than 1,200 people killed.-VNA
At least 44 pro-Islamic State (IS) militants have been killed in clashes between government troops and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the southern Philippines, said an Filipino army spokesman on March 11.
The Abu Sayyaf militant group is holding 10 hostages, including a Dutch national, three Indonesians and six Filipinos, said Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the military’s Joint Task Force, on March 27.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has proposed a dialogue between his administration and the country's Islamist extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) to end conflicts.
At least six people were killed in a bomb attack in the early hours of July 31 in Basilan, an island province in southern Philippines, according to international media.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Photo: AP)
