JAKARTA, Indonesia — Two Indonesian hostages have been released after being held for more than a year in the southern Philippines by their Abu Sayyaf captors, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday. They were kidnapped November 5, 2016, from different fishing boats in waters off Sabah, Malaysia. Indonesian officials in the Philippines are arranging their return home with local authorities, the ministry said in a statement. The Abu Sayyaf has been blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States and the Philippines for deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. Indonesia and its neighbouring countries of Malaysia and the Philippines now conduct joint maritime patrols in in the Sulu Sea to fight pirate attacks and transnational crimes.

Source: National Post January 20, 2018 14:26 UTC