KL armed forces on high alert for RP kidnappers<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian security forces in the eastern
\nstate of Sabah have been put on high alert to prevent a group of
\nFilipino kidnappers holding 20 hostages from slipping into the
\ncountry, officials said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A navy spokesman said they were informed early Sunday about
\nthe kidnapping of 20 people including three Americans from a
\nresort on Palawan island in the western Philippines.<\/p>\n
\"We have been told about it and we have put our men on full
\nalert ... they are now on the ground,\" he said, Bernama news
\nagency reported. He declined to elaborate.<\/p>\n
Palawan is about two hours' boat ride from Kudat on the
\nnorthern tip of Sabah.<\/p>\n
Sunday's pre-dawn attack on the Dos Palmas resort off Palawan
\nisland was believed staged by the notorious Abu Sayyaf
\nguerrillas, who struck twice in Malaysia last year.<\/p>\n
They fled with the 20 tourists and resort workers in a motor
\nboat that was later found abandoned.<\/p>\n
Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said that
\nwhen last seen, the kidnappers and their hostages were close to
\nthe Malaysian sea border and Manila was in touch with Kuala
\nLumpur for possible help in intercepting them.<\/p>\n
On April 23 last year Abu Sayyaf gunmen raided the Malaysian
\ndiving resort of Sipadan, off the Sabah coast, and fled across
\nthe sea border to their Jolo island stronghold with 10 Western
\ntourists and 11 resort workers.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 10 they raided Pandanan island near Sipadan and
\nseized three Malaysians. All but one of the Sipadan and Pandanan
\nhostages either escaped or were freed, some of them after the
\npayment of millions of dollars in ransom to the bandits.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has mounted a huge land, air and sea security
\noperation on resort islands and in waters off Sabah since last
\nyear's abductions. It plans shortly to introduce designated sea
\nlanes off the state to make it easier to check suspicious craft.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-armed-forces-on-high-alert-for-rp-kidnappers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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