Moslem extremist rebels renew threat to kill American captive

Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya also reiterated a ransom demand of 10 million dollars for the release of 24-year-old Jeffrey Schilling, who was abducted last August on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila. Sabaya warned that Schilling's health was rapidly deteriorating and the captive could hardly move. "Jeffrey is very sick and continues to cough blood. He is not eating anymore," he told a local radio station in nearby Zamboanga City. "It is better to kill him if the government does not want to negotiate."

"Let this be a warning because once we set the date of the execution, then there will be no stopping us," he added. While the government has already ruled out new negotiations for the release of Schilling, Sabaya said the rebel group was willing to talk with Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon. Gordon told the radio station that the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas must first lay down their arms before any negotiations can proceed. "They should show sincerity," Gordon said. "There should be no conditions for Schilling's release."

The extremists are also holding captive Filipino Roland Ullah, who was among a group of 21 people abducted from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort last April. Most of the Sipadan hostages, who included tourists from Germany, France, Finland and South Africa, were released in August and September in exchange for more than 17.5 million dollars in ransom payments. On Sunday, three Abu Sayyaf rebels were killed in a clash with army soldiers who have been hunting down the rebels in a massive operation to rescue Schilling and Ullah since September.

Colonel Hilario Atendido, a spokesman for the Armed Forces' Southern Command, said the troops were patrolling in the village of Lungagad in Indanan town when they encountered the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas. "A firefight ensued and after the smoke cleared, three rebels lay dead and many more were wounded but had escaped," Atendido said. There were no casualties on the military side. The Abu Sayyaf group claims to be fighting for a separate Islamic state in the southern region of Mindanao. It has been blamed for a series of bombings, killings, abductions-for-ransom and other terrorist activities in Mindanao.

(la/dpa)