Abu Sayyaf reaps $A9m from kidnappings

[AllNightLong]

Abu Sayyaf reaps $A9m from kidnappings

AP on October 27, 2016, 8:33 pm

Abu Sayyaf pocketed at least $A9.6m from ransom kidnappings in the first six months of the year.

Abu Sayyaf has pocketed at least 353 million pesos ($A9.6 million) from ransom kidnappings in the first six months of the year, a confidential Philippine government report says.

The joint military and police threat assessment report seen by The Associated Press on Thursday said government offensives have reduced the number of militants to 481 in the first half of the year from 506 in the same period last year.

Despite this Abu Sayyaf managed to carry out 32 bombings in that time - a 68 per cent increase - in attempts to distract the military assaults, the report said.

They wield at least 438 firearms and managed to conduct a number of terrorist trainings despite constant military assaults.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office in June, has ordered troops to destroy Abu Sayyaf, known for its brutality, and he has ruled out the possibility of any peace talks with them.

Duterte's peace negotiations with communist rebels have led to ceasefire declarations that have halted years of fighting with Maoist guerillas, which freed up the thousands of troops now redeployed to wage one of the largest offensives ever fought against the Abu Sayyaf in southern Sulu and Basilan provinces.

Abu Sayyaf's attacks on tugboats this year and the kidnappings of their Malaysian and Indonesian crewmen have raised security alarms from those countries, whose officials have tried to map out a strategy to protect commercial and passenger ships.

"Lucrative payoffs from KFR (kidnappings for ransom), the report said, "enabled the ASG to procure firearms as well as ammunitions."