Three foreigners abducted in Philippines

Two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian resort manager, and a Filipino woman have been abducted from a popular resort by gunmen in the southern Philippines, the military have confirmed.

An army spokesman said they were taken by gunmen late on Monday from the Holiday Oceanview resort on Samal island, near Davao city, BBC reported.

Local media named the resort manager as Kjartan Sekkinstad, adding that he was seized by the suspects after he went outside his yacht to check what was going on outside. The Filipino woman was not identified.

No further details were provided.

Eastmincom public affairs chief Capt. Alberto Caber said authorities are still determining the nationalities of the victims, although reports say that the victims were Canadian and Norwegian nationals.

The police official said investigation was ongoing to identify the group behind the kidnapping.

Three navy ships were sent to search and intercept the gunmen’s boat, while ground units were also alerted to locate possible landing sites in southeastern Mindanao. He said the couple suffered minor injuries.

Reports said at least 20 armed men wearing bonnets and black shirts swooped down on the resort and initially took five people.

Caber said a naval blockade was set up around the island to stop the kidnappers from reaching Basilan Island farther to the southwest where the militants have strongholds where they keep hostages while negotiating ransoms.

“Two Japanese tourists tried to intervene but failed,” a source said.

The 400-strong Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), founded in the early 1990s, is a violent terrorist group operating in the southern Philippines.

The two were rushed to Davao del NOrte Hospital-Samal Zone for medical treatment due to head injuries. Samuel Gandingan told government radio station DXRP in Davao City that three men armed with rifles entered the resort before midnight Monday.

Militants in this region are still holding other hostages, including two Malaysians, a Dutch bird watcher that was kidnapped almost three years ago, and a town mayor.