Ransom paid for four hostages: KL

Ransom paid for four hostages: KL

MALAYSIA: Four hostages kidnapped from a Malaysian resort on Borneo island were released from an eight-month ordeal allegedly at the hands of al-Qaeda-linked Moro militants after a ransom was paid, police said on Monday.

Mohamad Bakri, chief of criminal investigations in eastern Sabah, told AFP the hostages -- one Filipino and three Indonesians -- were released early on Monday and had been sent to a local hospital for medical checks.

Iliyas Ibrahim, Sabah police chief, said a ransom of some 200,000 ringgit (about US$52,000) was paid for the release of the captives.

Civilian negotiators carried the money to Philippines' Tawi- Tawi Island on May 22, he said, but did not say where the money came from. --AFP