Philippine militants take two captive, hours after troops rescue two

by Dramelin 3:30 AM 0 comments

MANILA Philippine militants took two crew captive from a cargo ship on Thursday, only hours after soldiers rescued two Malaysians held for about eight months on a southern island, officials said.
"In the nearby Sulu archipelago, troops rescued two Malaysian captives in waters off Pata island, said Major General Carlito Galvez Jr.
, commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
The vessel was on its way to General Santos City on the southern island of Mindanao from the central Philippines when gunmen in three speed boats intercepted it, a coast guard commander said.
The two, who were among five Malaysian tugboat crew seized by militants in July last year off the Malaysian state of Sabah, were weak and "in sickly state" when rescued, Galvez said.
"Two Filipino crew, the ship`s captain and chief engineer, were taken captive," Lieutenant-Commander Alvin Dagalea told reporters.