Muslim Rebels Release Four Hostages
By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer
JOLO, Philippines (AP) - Muslim
rebels freed four Europeans on Saturday after holding them for more than four months in a
southern Philippine jungle, negotiators said.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels, who say
they are fighting for an independent Islamic state in the mostly Roman Catholic
Philippines, turned over the four hostages to go-betweens who visited their camp on
southern Jolo island, they said.
Chief government negotiator
Robert Aventajado said the four - two Finns, a French citizen and a German, all kidnapped
April 23 from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort - would be lifted out by helicopter and
taken to nearby Zamboanga city, where they will be presented to their ambassadors.
Two French television
journalists and 12 Filipino Christian evangelists seized in early July when they visited
the camp were not freed Saturday, Aventajado said.
The release was threatened
earlier Saturday when the two go-betweens were ambushed as they traveled to the rebels'
camp. One of their bodyguards was killed and five were wounded, government negotiators
said. Many civilians also were injured, they said.
The go-betweens, who were not
injured, were being escorted by Ghalib ``Robot'' Andang, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf
faction holding the hostages, when they were attacked by another guerrilla faction,
Aventajado said.
Aventajado would not comment on
the motive, but the go-betweens were believed to be carrying a large ransom for the
European hostages' release.
Officials have reported growing
tensions within the Abu Sayyaf over the sharing of millions of dollars in ransom they have
reportedly received for previous hostage releases.
The attack occurred about three
miles from where the hostages were being held, military reports said.
The driver of a passenger jeep,
Abdul Majin Kasim, said he saw a convoy of about five vans fired upon by men along a main
road.
``There were so many shots. I
dove out of my jeep,'' he said.
Earlier, unconfirmed military
reports had said the ambush was directed at Andang and another leader of his faction.
On Friday, Andang had backed
out of a promise to free all the Europeans, instead offering only three. Government
negotiators refused, canceling the release.
Aventajado said Andang had been
worried about a military assault if all the foreign hostages are freed. The government
negotiator said he told Andang an attack was unlikely as long as the rebels were holding
the Filipino Christian evangelists.
A separate Abu Sayyaf faction
is holding an American, Jeffrey Schilling, who was kidnapped in late August.
Libyan officials, who have
helped negotiate for the European hostages, prepared only $4 million in ransom, enough to
pay for just four hostages, an official close to the negotiating panel said. Libya has
resisted paying for the two journalists, saying their company should be responsible.
Last week Libya reportedly paid
$6 million for the release of six other Westerners from the Sipadan group. It insists the
money will go for development projects, not directly to the rebels.
Schilling, 24, a Muslim convert
from Oakland, Calif., was seized Aug. 28 when he visited a rebel camp with his Filipino
Muslim wife, Ivi Osani. Osani, who is the second cousin of rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya, was
not abducted.
The rebels have not announced
their demands for Schilling's release, although Sabaya has privately demanded $10 million,
negotiators said.
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