Islamist militants release Norwegian hostage in southern Philippines

Sulu Provincial Police director Senior Superintendent Mario Bucuyan advised the media to get details of the release from Tan.

Officials in Manila said Kjartan Sekkingstad was released Saturday and would soon be handed over to authorities.

Sekkingstad is one of the four people taken by the Abu Sayyaf from a marina in a Samal resort here a year ago.

Sekkingstad was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf from a resort on the island of Samal in September a year ago alongside two Canadians and a Filipina.

“It’s so painful because I saw them moments before they got beheaded”, Flor told reporters in June in Davao, where she was flown to meet then President-elect Duterte.

On Saturday morning, Ramie reportedly said that the hostage was readied for release since Friday (16 September) night, but the delivery of the 30m Philippine peso ransom amount has still not been paid, The Philippines Inquirer reported.

However, President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said 50 million pesos were paid as a ransom to the group.

Last April, the bandits killed a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel, as the ransom deadline lapsed and later they executed another Canadian hostage, who was identified as Robert Hall.

Hall’s Filipino girlfriend, Marites Flor was also freed in June.

Sekkingstad was released four days before he would have spent his first year in captivity.

In a statement from Jolo, Sulu, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Kjartan Sekkingstad “is now staying overnight at the place of MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) Chairman Nur Misuari in Barangay Kagay who volunteered to host his stay due to heavy rains and nightfall”. The Abu Sayyaf demanded a huge ransom for the release of the foreigners, and released videos in which they threatened the captives in a lush jungle clearing where they displayed ISIL-style black flags. Flor on the other hand was freed last June 24 unharmed.

Sulu, a remote archipelago known as the hideout of Abu Sayyaf and other militants, has always been a hotbed of sectarianism and terror activities in the south of the Philippines.

Flor was dropped off by her captors in front of the residence of former Sulu Governor Sakur Tan at around 4:30 a.m. on June 24 and was presented to then President-electDuterte onstage at the Davao City Police Office parade grounds almost 12 hours later, after the turnover of command from chief of police, Sr.

Following the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Washington worked hard with the Philippine military to stop the group’s activities.

At least 10 foreign nationals are still held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, including Indonesian sailors and Dutchman Ewold Horn.