SULU – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants seized a government engineer in a daring abduction Wednesday morning in Jolo town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, officials said.
Officials said Enrico Nee was waiting for a motorcycle taxi near his home in San Raymundo village when gunmen snatched him. Nee was dragged by gunmen to a get-away vehicle and sped off.
Nee is working for the Department of Public Works and Highways under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
His fate remains unknown, but the abduction came despite military’s pronouncement in the province that the Abu Sayyaf is now on the run due to the continued government campaign against the notorious rebel group tied to the Islamic State.
It also occurred while the region is under an extended martial rule. It was unclear how the militants managed to sneaked into the capital town where policemen and soldiers were supposed to be guarding from the Abu Sayyaf.
The abduction came just several days after troops killed 4 militants in a clash in Panamao town where seven soldiers were also wounded in the fighting. Members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 3 fought with some 30 gunmen under Abu Sayyaf commanders Sansibar Bensio and Hatib Munap Binda in Mount Bawis.
The soldiers were sent to the area following intelligence reports that several Abu Sayyaf hostages had been spotted there. The militants are still holding over a dozen captives, mostly seamen kidnapped off Sabah in Malaysia over the years.
General Carlito Galvez, the regional military commander, did not issue any statement, but he has previously said the operation against the Abu Sayyaf is continuing in Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the restive region.
“We will not stop until we rescue all hostages and until we neutralize all these terrorists. Our soldiers are out there hunting for them ready to fight and die just to attain peace in our communities especially in Sulu. I once again enjoin everyone to help and support your Armed Forces through Western Mindanao Command in this fight to eliminate terror here in the region,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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