A Sri Lankan peace worker was abducted in Basilan province before dawn Friday.

Police said 36-year-old Jaleel Umar was forcibly taken by at least nine gunmen from a non-government organization's (NGO) office-cum-residence in Barangay Maloong, Lamitan City around 2:30 a.m.

Umar is a member of the Non-Violent Peace Force Organization, which is working with a Lamitan-based NGO that conducts human rights seminars  in the city.

Initial police reports said the Sri Lankan was asleep when the gunmen entered their office. Police said the victim did not try to fight off the abductors.

Police said the victim has a Sri Lankan companion who also lives in their office. The victim's companion, however, was out of the country, police added.

Basilan Vice-Governor Al-Rasheed Sakalahul told ANC on Friday the gunmen also tried to abduct the Sri Lankan's armed bodyguard but failed. He said the bodyguard resisted and fired shots at the kidnappers.

The kidnappers forced Umar into a waiting van and sped off to an unknown direction, the vice-governor said.

Sakalahul said the kidnappers were young-looking and were armed with high-powered guns, based on statements from the other occupants of the house. He said the house was also ransacked by the bandits.

Police have yet to determine the kidnappers' affiliation.

Restless

A certain Mrs. Insiong, an NGO worker staying with the victim at the house, told ABS-CBN News Channel in an interview that Umar had been restless because of the spate of kidnappings in the province.

She said the Sri Lankan is afraid of being abducted "because he knows he is a foreigner."

Mrs. Insiong said Umar arrived in Basilan four months ago to conduct human rights seminars.

"Parang restless din siya, natatakot dahil baka makidnap sila dahil foreigner sila (He has been restless, afraid that he will also be kidnapped because he is a foreigner)," she said.

Sakalahul said separate teams of police and Marines were pursuing the kidnappers.

The kidnapping came as the government poured troops to Basilan and Sulu province due to the spate of abductions that started early this year.

Abu Sayyaf bandits, headed by Albader Parad, are currently holding captive three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) members Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni and Mary Jean Lacaba.

The military said Parad's group and the ICRC members are somewhere in the jungles of Indanan town, Sulu province.

Bandits are also holding hostage three public school teachers in Basilan. -- With reports from Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN Zamboanga and radio dzMM