Abu Sayyaf releases one Red Cross hostage
Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group based in the Philippines, released one of three Red Cross hostages Thursday after almost three months in captivity.
Mary Jean Lacaba was taken to a military facility on the island of Sulu for a medical examination, ABS-CBN News reported.
Her colleagues with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Andreas Notter of Switzerland, and Eugenio Vagni of Italy, remain in captivity.
All of us are excited and happy that she was safely recovered, she is resting, she is being attended to by physicians and medical personnel,
said Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, head of Western Mindanao Command. She was able to talk to ICRC and she was able to talk to her husband.
The hostages were captured by guerrillas Jan.15 when they visited a prison where the Red Cross had financed a water project. Abu Sayyaf demanded that the government withdraw troops from the area and at one point threatened to behead a hostage.
The militant Muslim group is believed to be responsible for the 2004 bombing of a ferry in Manila Bay, the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the Philippines.
UPI
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