ZAMBOANGA CITY – Jakarta has confirmed on Friday the abduction of 7 Indonesian tugboat crew members and said 6 other sailors had been freed and on their way home.
The sailors have been identified as Ferry Arifin, the skipper of tugboat Charles OO; M. Mahbrur Dahri, Edi Suryono, Ismail, M.Nasir, M.Sofyan and Robin Piter. The boat – owned by PT Rusianto Brothers – was heading to Samarinda in East Kalimantan following a trip from the Philippines when gunmen intercepted it on June 22.
The crewmen were earlier reported to have been split into two groups, but Jakarta said the others had been released and that only 7 were taken captive.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed the reports at a news conference in Jakarta. Marsudi said the government will do everything possible to ensure the safe release of all the hostages.
Indonesian media reported that the boat captain phoned his wife and told her that they were intercepted at sea by gunmen, who introduced themselves as Abu Sayyaf and were demanding 20 million ringgits for their safe release.
The Abu Sayyaf previously kidnapped 14 Indonesian tugboat crewmembers in separate attacks at sea and brought them to Sulu province and eventually released through the intercession of the Moro National Liberation Front. It has beheaded a Malaysian man and two Canadian hostages in Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
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