A senior security official said that kidnappers holding a Chinese tourist who was abducted from a resort in Semporna, Sabah have contacted her family in China.
The gunmen have called the family of Gao Huayuan, 29, whom authorities believe is being held in Jolo Island in southern Philippines, said Mohammad Mentek, an eastern Sabah security command director-general.
“They have made telephone contact with her family,” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf, which is a group of militants popular for kidnapping for ransom, are the main suspects in Wednesday’s abductions of the Chinese tourist and Filipina resort staff, Marcy Dayawan, 40.
Mohammad said Malaysian authorities believe that the two hostages are safe.
“We hope they will be returned safely to their families as soon as possible,” he said.
When asked whether the kidnappers had negotiated ransom with the Chinese family, Mohammad declined to comment.
Philippine authorities trust that the kidnappers are affiliated with Abu Sayyaf “sub-commander” Murphy Ambang Ladjia, who was involved in a massive kidnapping of 21 people from another Sabah resort in 2000.
Many of them were Europeans and other foreigners. Twenty of those hostages were released within five months, reportedly after hefty ransoms were paid. The last Filipino captive was held until 2003.
The Abu Sayyaf has merely a few hundred gunmen but has been put to blame for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. These include bombings and kidnappings that have often targeted foreigners or Christians.
It was established in the 1990s, apparently with seed money from Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.
More to come.
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