Two Indonesian Hostages Escape from Philippines Captors

Jakarta, 27 Dzulqa’dah 1437/30 August 2016 (MINA) – Two Indonesian hostages have returned to their families in the country after managed to escape from their Philippines captors mid this month.

According to Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir, the two seamen, identified as Muhammad Sofyan and Ismail flied back to Indonesia’s capital on Friday.

“Those two citizens were in good health condition. Due to requests from the two and their families, the handing over session was not conducted openly like it used to be,” Xinhua quoted Arrmanatha as saying in the ministry’s premises on Monday.

The handing over session from the government to the hostages’ families took place on Saturday, conducted by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

The closed handing over session was intended to keep the feelings of families of the remaining five boat crews who are still being kept by the kidnappers in the Philippines, Arrmanatha said.

Muhammad Sofyan and Ismail managed to escape from gunmen who kidnapped crews of Indonesia’s Charles tugboat in Sulu waters, Southern Philippines on June 20 for ransom.

Muhammad Sofyan was reported of managed to escape on August 17. Meanwhile Ismail was found stranded in Indonesia’s Luwu waters on August 18.

In March this year, Philippines’ radical group of Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 14 Indonesian seamen in the same waters for ransom when they transported coals to the neighboring country. All of those seamen had been released and flied back to Indonesia. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)