Gunmen abduct Swiss, Dutch nationals in southern Philippines
Gunmen seized a Dutch and a Swiss tourist and their Filipino guide on board a boat taking them back to a southern Philippine island after a 14-day bird-watching trip, local officials said on Wednesday.
Five men carrying rifles, pistols and a grenade launcher boarded the boat at sea and ordered others on board - a policeman, a town councilor, and the vessel's skipper - to jump off, Sadikul Sahali, governor of the southernmost Philippine island of Tawi-Tawi, told reporters. The gunmen then sped off with their hostages, Dutchman Elwold Horn, 52 and Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47; and their guide, regional police chief Bienvenido Latag said. (Reuters)
