Philippine troops rescue kidnapped students in Mindanao
21/4/2005 17:06
Philippine troops have rescued 13 students several hours after they were
kidnapped Thursday morning by a group of bandits in Piagapo town in Lanao del
Sur, Mindanao, the military said. A firefight between the bandits and the
military during the rescue operation resulted in the killing of a
policeman. Brig. Gen. Amando Melo Jr, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade,
said fighting were still ongoing against the 10-man kidnapping group in the
jungles of Piagapo since the firefight erupted shortly after noon. "The
firefight is still ongoing but we have already recovered all the 13 hostages,"
said Melo of the 13 victims who were on their way to the Mindanao State
University in Marawi City to take the entrance examinations. Brig. Gen. Ben
Dolorpino, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, said one of the policemen tasked
to help the Marines pursue the suspects died in the clash. He couldn't say the
enemy's casualty figures, saying the firefight were still ongoing. The 13
victims are part of the original 21 hostages seized by at least six suspects
while on board a passenger jeep along a highway in Barangay Ini, Saguiran town,
also in Lanao del Sur at around 07:30 a.m. local time. The suspects
commandeered the jeep towards Piagapo, where they released six of the hostages,
including the driver and a certain Mrs. Bernal, 54. During initial pursuit
operation, two more hostages were recovered by the military. "It's a
mountainous area," said Dolorfino, describing the site of the clash where the 13
remaining hostages were rescued. The Marine general also described the condition
of the 13 rescued hostages as "very safe." Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual said
two of the suspects boarded the jeep in Iligan where the vehicle came from. In
Siguiran, four more suspects boarded again, after which the six suspects
declared a heist. "Initially, the angle we looked at was robbery but when the
suspects took the victims to Piagapo, we declared it as kidnapping, " said
Pascual, adding that four more suspects joined the six kidnappers in Piagapo.
Xinhua
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