MANILA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) - A radical Muslim bandit group released on Saturday a Norwegian man they took hostage almost a year ago, a spokesman for the Philippine military said.
Army Maj. Filemon Tan of the military's western Mindanao Command said the Abu Sayyaf bandits freed the hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad around 4 p.m. in a remote village in Indan, a town in Sulu. The military has yet to present the hostage victim to the media.
Sekkingstad and Canadian nationals Robert Hall and John Ridsdel were abducted in September last year in posh holiday resort in Davao del Norte.
There are reports that ransom have been paid for the release of Sekkingstad, but Philippine authorities could not confirm this as of press time.
The bandits killed Ridsdel and Hall in April and June respectively.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to crush the group and another similar Muslim extremist group operating in nearby provinces, the Abu Sayyaf group, that is also engaged in kidnap for ransom, killings and robberies.
