Abu Sayyaf hostages in Philippines make video plea

Three hostages being held by militants in the Philippines have appeared in a video pleading for their governments to meet the captors’ demands. The Canadian, Norwegian and Filipino men are being held by Abu Sayyaf, the Islamist militant separatists who last week beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel. In the video, the hostages say if the demands […]

Three hostages being held by militants in the Philippines have appeared in a video pleading for their governments to meet the captors’ demands.
The Canadian, Norwegian and Filipino men are being held by Abu Sayyaf, the Islamist militant separatists who last week beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel. In the video, the hostages say if the demands are not met “we will be executed like our friend John”.
Abu Sayyaf has previously demanded a multi-million dollar ransom. The Philippines and Canadian government have said they will not give in to ransom demands. The Philippines has also launched a military operation against the militant group.
Mr Ridsdel was kidnapped from a marina near the city of Davao last September along with another Canadian, Robert Hall, his Filipina partner Marites Flor, and Kjartan Sekkingstad, a Norwegian.
They were taken to an Abu Sayyaf stronghold of the remote island of Jolo where Mr Ridsdel was killed on 25 April after a ransom deadline passed.