A military official on Tuesday confirmed reports that elements of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) are involved in the kidnapping of three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who are now being held captive in Sulu province.

"Yes. They have always been with the Abu Sayyaf since the time they left Central Mindanao in 2005... They have been hiding in the remote areas of Indanao. That's why the hostages are in Indanan," Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the Marines-led Joint Task Force Comet, told ANC's News@8.
Sabban said the involvement of JI elements explain the latest video of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Albader Parad, where he insisted that they kidnapped Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba last January 15 to get attention of the national government.

Abu Ali, the group's spokesman, also insisted that they are not terrorists. He said they will continue to fight for the rights of the Muslim minority in the Philippines.

The military official said the JI elements and the bandit group want to "gain international attention" and at the same time, use this as a diversionary tactic to get out of the military-cordoned area of Indanan town, Sulu province.

In an ABS-CBN News report, correspondent Ces Drilon talked with the bandits’ negotiator over the phone.

When Drilon dialled a phone being used by Parad and asked for Lacaba, a man speaking in English with a foreign sounding accent answered.

Sen. Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine National Red Cross, had said that he was able to talk to a better-English speaking negotiator last week when he tried to communicate with the kidnapped ICRC members.

Gordon said the kidnappers asked him to fly to Sulu and negotiate. He said he refused the offer and insisted that they talk in a neutral place.

The senator said the Red Cross would be willing to talk with the kidnappers about their supposed concerns about the rights of the Muslim minority in the country.

However, he insisted that the Red Cross will not negotiate for ransom with the kidnappers.

ICRC members safe

Sabban also confirmed reports that six members of Task Force Comet, who were securing the cordoned area in Indanan, were hurt after their group clashed with the kidnappers of the three ICRC members.

He said the kidnappers were trying to breach the cordoned area, but failed as he claimed the task force members "inflicted a lot of casualties on their side."

"They are still within the cordon that the military has set up… They are kept in one corner of the island," Sabban added.

The military official, meanwhile, assured that the three ICRC members being held captive by the group were not hurt during the encounter.

He said the kidnapped aid workers are still constantly communicating with the ICRC and other groups.

“We do know that they are still in contact with ICRC and other personalities, but they said, [the victims] are safe,” Sabban said.

MILF involvement in kidnappings

Sabban said the military is now conducting “aggressive, simultaneous” operations in Basilan province, where at least seven people have been kidnapped by bandits.

He said the group holding three public schoolteachers captive in Basilan are being supported by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front group based in the province.

“I believe these kidnappers are supported by the MILF in that area,” he said.

Sabban added that aside from Sulu and Basilan province, the military is also conducting operations in Tawi-Tawi, another stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

Also on Monday, two suspected members of a group holding the three teachers captive were killed by the military in an encounter.

Navy commander Alexander Pama said his men chanced upon the kidnappers while on patrol.

Pama, however, said the Marines did not sight the captives.