Rebels Free 3 Malaysians; More Releases Expected
Three Malaysians held by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines for four months were on their way to freedom today, and a dozen European and South African hostages were to be released soon, officials said.
Two key negotiators entered rebel-held territory on Jolo island, hoping to bring back the foreigners held by the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.
About 100 miles away in Zamboanga, Malaysian Ambassador H.M. Arshad told reporters that three captives from his country already had been freed.
“I know they have been released; they are now on their way to Zamboanga,” he said.
There was no immediate word on a Filipino held along with the Malaysians. One of them is a Malaysian forest ranger and the other three are workers on the Sipadan island resort, off Borneo, from which they were kidnapped April 23.
Negotiators had said all four were handed over to an emissary on Friday, but apparently they could not make their way to freedom because of bad weather.
The other hostages are nine tourists also snatched off Sipadan and three French television journalists abducted last month on Jolo.
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