ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 19, 2014) – Gunmen seized a woman late Wednesday on a village in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said.
The victim, Sabrina Ikbala Von, was taken from Pohoc Drive in the village of Mercedes and dragged to a white van which was later recovered on a neighboring village by pursuing policemen. Radio station dxRZ-Radyo Agong identified the woman as Sabrina Ikbala Voon.
The van has a license plate GPH-851 and an identification card was also found in the vehicle with the name of Ignacio Curambao, who is reported to be a rent-a-car driver at the local airport. It was unknown whether his van was hijacked or rented by the gang or if he has been taken captive also.
Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, said police and military forces were searching for the woman. Citing reports in the area, Huesca said six gunmen were involved in the abduction.
He said the gunmen and their hostage fled towards the shoreline of Mulu-Muluan village. “Pursuit operation is going on and we still do not know who were behind the abduction,” he said.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the abduction, but authorities had previously blamed kidnapping cases to the Abu Sayyaf group. (Mindanao Examiner)
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