ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 19, 2013) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels shot dead a Taiwanese tourist and seized his wife in a daring cross-border raid into the Malaysian state of Sabah near the Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi.
Malaysian media reported that gunmen raided the island resort of Pom Pom off Semporna town and shot Hsu Li Min, 57, and dragged his wife Chang An Wei, 58, into a waiting boat and fled before security forces could arrive. The raid occurred before dawn on November 15, Malaysia’s online newspaper The Star reported.
It said policemen recovered four bullet casings in room occupied by the Taiwanese couple who was due to leave on November 19. The fate of the woman is still unknown and gunmen have not demanded any ransom from the victim’s family or contacted the resort owner.
“Based on their modus operandi, we believe that there is a link with the Abu Sayyaf group. The initial information we have is that they came in a small group of eight,” said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar in another report by The Star.
Police are also investigating the possible involvement of locals in planning the raid. The gunmen had been to have fled towards Pulau Mataking near Tawi-Tawi.
The Abu Sayyaf has previously raided resorts in Sabah several times over the past decade and kidnapped dozens of Malaysians and foreigners and exchanged them for ransom money which is used to purchase weapons and fund terror attacks in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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