Philippine police confirmed this morning that Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels had abducted three people from a Malaysian diving resort and taken them to their stronghold in the southern island of Jolo.
Sulu provincial police chief Mr Candido Casimio said five Abu Sayyaf abductors brought the Malaysians to Jolo at 1.30 p.m. (5.30 p.m. Irish time) yesterday after kidnapping them from a diving resort in Pandanan Island, off Malaysia's Sabah state in Borneo. He said that the abductors were led by a so-called Commander Eping Ahga, a cousin of Abu Sayyaf leader Mujib Susukan.
Some diplomats fear the abductions may be a fresh Muslim rebel attempt to seize hostages for ransom.
Details of the latest kidnappings emerged as another group of Western hostages were arriving in Libya after their release in the Philippines at the weekend. The four Europeans freed after nearly five months of captivity arrived yesterday at Tripoli airport.
A Russian aircraft carried the four hostages, Mr Marc Wallert from Germany, a French national, Mr Stephane Loisy, and two Finns, Mr Seppo Juhani Franti and Mr Risto Mirco Vahanen.
A Libyan charity helped to negotiate the release of the hostages, kidnapped by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippine island of Jolo on April 23th.
A Libyan negotiator said the rebels were expected to free two French men within days. "An agreement has been reached regarding them and they will be released very soon," said Mr Rajab Azzarouq, who accompanied the four freed hostages on the flight.
Asked if he expected the two French journalists, Mr Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and Mr Roland Madura, to be freed within two to three days, Mr Azzarouq said "Yes".
Libya became involved in the hostage issue in the hope of improving its image after years of isolation over the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing. It has been denied that any ransom was paid, but local officials said the rebels got millions of dollars.
Pandanan Island, the scene of the latest kidnappings, is near Sipadan Island, where 21 people were grabbed on April 23rd by Muslim rebels and taken across the Sulu Sea to jungle hideouts in the southern Philippines.
All but one, a Filipino resort worker, have since been released. One or more women among the hostages were raped by the rebels, released Finnish hostage Risto Vahanen claimed on Finnish television yesterday.
Diplomats said that, after raising millions of dollars in ransom from the Sipadan kidnappings, gunmen may see the Sabah resorts as easy pickings.
Mr Abdullah said the Pandanan abductors had made no demands.
"Maybe by abducting them, they are looking for gains. That we don't know," Mr Abdullah said.