Abu Sayyaf Kidnapping Enterprise Puts Philippines on Edge

Last Friday a home video depicted two Canadians, Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, with machetes being held to their throat pleading for their government to help them, and their two other colleagues, who were kidnapped last September. Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group in the Philippines, who have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), told the Canadians time that is running out and if a ransom is not received by April 25 all four hostages will be beheaded.

Efforts to locate the Canadians are urgent, on April 12, 2016, the remains of two decapitated hostages from a previous kidnapping were discovered after ransom demands were not meet. Joint police and military ground operations are underway to find the group who disappeared from an upscale resort on Samal Island, Davao Del Norte, in the Southern Philippines, on September 21, 2015.

The U.S. State Department just listed the southern Philippine island of Mindanao which was near the resort where kidnappers went missing a “no-go zone” for Americans due to the high risk of kidnappings, terrorism, and rebel actives in the region.

Senior police superintendent Rustom Duran told the media that the perpetrators were part Abu Sayyaf who killed three Philippe soldiers during a military offensive in Lanao Del Sur this past February, and forced 20,000 people to flee the area. In the aftermath, police found black flags similar to the Islamic State’s (IS) were located at the group’s hideout in Butig.

Since 1991, Abu Sayyaf armed with improvised explosive devices, mortars, and assault rifles – has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassination, and extortion in a self determined fight to obtain independent Muslim state in the Philippines.

Abu Sayyaf got major international coverage when they captured American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham on May 27, 2001. Held for over a year by the terrorist group until a Philippine military and U.S. special forces team tracked them down, and engaged the terrorist group. Unfortunately, Martin Burnham and a Filipina nurse were killed during the rescue attempt. However, Abu Sabaya the leader of the group at the time was killed during the rescue operation.

The Philippine government tried to reach a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but the deal collapsed after parliament failed to pass a law that created a Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf are both splinter cells from the Moro National Liberation Front.   The Moro leaders warned that the collapse of the deal could embolden hardline militants to engage in a violent conflict with the government.

On April 9, 2016, 18 Philippine soldiers were killed and another 53 wounded in a ten hour shoot out with Abu Sayyaf members in the hinterlands on bordering towns of Tipo Tipo and Al Barka on Basilan Island.

Indonesia is paying $1.1 million to the Abu Sayyaf to release 10 tugboat crews members the group took as hostages on March 29 while in the southern province of Tawi Tawi.  However, according to Philippine Brigadier General Restituto Padilla the best means to combat terrorism is to abide by the country’s “no ransom policy” is the only way to stoop the terrorists “thriving” kidnapping industry.

Abu Sayyaf has been consistent in carrying out its threats, this will be a major test for Prime Minister Trudeau.