Composite picture of 3 of the 4 victims of abduction in Basilan - Michael Tan, Mark Singson and Oscar Tan Lu

MANILA - At least 6 military and police teams were dispatched to the jungles of Basilan province to pursue suspected Abu Sayyaf members who kidnapped at least four people from a plywood plant in Maluso town before dawn Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman of the Philippine Navy, said at three teams from the Philippine Marines were already hot on the tracks of the kidnappers, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

Arevalo said a company of Army troopers from the 32nd Infantry Battalion, based in Zamboanga Peninsula have also been dispatched to augment the Marines' search team.

He said the pursuing Marines have recovered a fragmentation grenade from an area in Maluso town where the abductors stopped for rest while in transit to the jungles.

"We hope to catch up with the kidnappers before they reach the mountains and immediaately rescue the victims," Arevalo said in a statement.

Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, Western Mindanao Naval Forces commander, said at least 30 heavily-armed men snatched four employees from the Hi-tech Woodcraft Corporation in Barangay Townsite around 12:10 a.m.

Pama identified the four victims as Jerry Tan, Michael Tan, 25; Oscar Tan Lu, 51 and Mark Singson.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has confirmed the kidnapping of the four victims. There were earlier reports that only three employees were kidnapped.

In a statement, the PNP said it has dispatched 2 police maneuver companies to pursue the kidnappers.

Chief Superintendent Paisal Umpa, ARMM regional police director, said teams from the 1520th and 1519th Provincial Mobile Groups have joined forces with the Maluso Police Station conducting pursuit operations.

Umpa said the pursuit operation is being led by the Basilan police provincial chief. He added that a municipal crisis management committee has been organized to lead the rescue efforts for the four victims. -- Reports from Leila Vicente, Jewel Reyes, ABS-CBN Zamboanga and Noel Alamar, radio dzMM