US warns of growing kidnapping threat in southern Philippines

Manila : The United States has issued a fresh travel warning for most of the southern Philippines after a surge of kidnappings there, with some victims being snatched from vessels at sea.

A State Department advisory on Thursday asked its citizens to defer "non-essential" travel to the Sulu archipelago and the southern tip of the western island of Palawan, and to take "extreme caution" elsewhere in the southern region of Mindanao.

It cited "the high threat of kidnapping of international travellers, increased threat of maritime kidnappings against small boats, and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism".

Sulu is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a group of Islamic militants infamous for kidnappings, bombings, and beheadings in the south of the predominantly Catholic Asian nation.

The group abducted eight foreigners in the past three years, some from neighbouring Malaysia. It continues to hold four westerners after killing a Malaysian and freeing other hostages reportedly for large ransoms.

In the past month, 14 Indonesians and four Malaysians aboard commercial shipping have also been abducted in nearby waters.

Foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to meet in Jakarta on May 3 to discuss an Indonesian proposal for joint patrols in the area of the recent kidnappings, Indonesian security minister Luhut Panjaitan said Thursday.

"We don't want to see this area become a new Somalia," he added.

Filipino officials told AFP Friday they could not immediately confirm the ministerial meeting.

Britain also warned Wednesday of the widening threat of kidnappings in coastal resorts and dive sites in Mindanao, while Canada advised citizens last week to avoid travel to most of the region.

"Kidnap groups in the Sulu archipelago have sought to expand their reach including by working with affiliates," the British advisory said.