Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian employee of a local resort and a local woman were seized late last night near a popular tourist resort in the southern Philippines. According to national army spokesman Captain Alberto Caber, a group of armed men picked up the four guests at the Oceanview resort on the island of Samal, near Davao City in Mindanao. The commandos, not yet identified, left the area by sea on board a vessel.
"Four people were taken"Captain Caber told reporters, "but we do not know what group is responsible for the assault." The military also said that the four were taken "at random" from among dozens of people who, in these days, frequent the area for business or pleasure.
Since 1990, the southern Philippines has been the scene of (sporadic) cases of kidnapping for ransom, behind which there are Islamic extremist groups in the area. The last kidnapping attempt at a resort in Samal took place in 2001, by militia Abu Sayyaf, and caused the death of three security guards inside.
According to preliminary information the Canadian tourists kidnapped are John Ridsel and Robert Hall, a Norwegian manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and a Filipino woman, not yet identified, perhaps partner of either US citizens.
Official sources report that two Japanese tourists present at the time of the assault, tried to prevent the abduction, which occurred shortly before midnight. The army has set up checkpoints and patrols at sea, to prevent the escape of the kidnappers who - most likely - are trying at this time to reach another island in the area where there are several strongholds of the militia .
The island of Mindanao is a region known for the presence of Islamic fundamentalists, who in the last few years have carried out numerous attacks, kidnappings, and killings. The largest group is the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Also very active is the movement of Abu Sayyaf [editor's note: "Sword Bearers" in the local language], made up of guerrillas affiliated with al-Qaeda, whose aim is to create an independent Muslim state in the country's south.
Since the beginning of the violence in 1970, there have been hundreds of thousands of victims.