Authorities confirm kidnapping

of 7 Indonesians off Tawi-Tawi

Security officials have confirmed that seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped from a tugboat by suspected Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf gunmen off Tawi-Tawi province in the latest hijacking in the southern Philippines sea.

Based on the reports of the international media outfits, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press conference, "on the afternoon of June 23, we received confirmation that our citizens were taken hostage."

Kompas.com also reported Marsudi as saying that six of the tugboat's 13 crew members had been released after the hijackings off the southern Philippine island province of Sulu, and were headed back to Indonesia.

Sulu is a stronghold of the Daesh-affiliated Abu Sayyaf militant group that had a role in recent kidnappings of Indonesian and Malaysian sailors.

Marsudi said one group of assailants abducted three crew members from the tugboat Monday afternoon, before a second group snatched another four.

"Indonesia's government strongly condemns the recurrence of its citizens being taken hostage by armed groups in the southern Philippines. The incident is the third time. This can not be tolerated," another media outfit quoted Marsudi as saying.

Meanwhile, the military's Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) also confirmed Friday the latest abduction of Indonesian nationals off Tawi-Tawi.

"With regards to the alleged kidnapping of 7 Indonesian sailors, this morning (Friday) Indonesian authorities confirmed that there were 7 of their nationals who were kidnapped by armed men," Tan said in a text message.

"Though this report reached the Western Mindanao Command, we are currently validating the veracity of the report on the ground and will give details as soon as we have information with regards to this issue."

On Thursday, Abu Sayyaf militants were reported to have struck anew, taking 13 Indononesia sailors off Tawi-Tawi island province.

The Philippines military and police officials​, however, were not immediately available to confirm the reports. MGP News