Mother of abducted girl appeals to kidnappers

Nina Rasul also warned her British husband against returning to their home in Lamitan town, Basilan province, 915 kilometres south of Manila, for fear that he would also be kidnapped. "The rebels know that the British has money so I urge my husband not to come here," she told reporters from her home, which was being guarded by at least 20 soldiers.

British national Douglas Grant, who is in Scotland, has offered to take the place of his kidnapped stepdaughter April Adzam Grant. The girl is Rasul's daughter with a Jordanian national. Rasul said she hopes that the kidnappers, suspected to be members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group, would release her daughter. "I hope the kidnappers will have mercy on my innocent child," she said. "Please in the name of Allah, free my daughter." The military dispatched soldiers to guard Rasul and her 21-month-old daughter with Douglas Grant after British embassy officials expressed concern over the abduction. Police and military officials have been tight-lipped on operations to rescue the young victim, who is believed to be held in a hideout in the nearby town of Tuburan. "We have to be discreet in this operation because we still don't know what is on the minds of the suspects, whether they are only after the money or something else," a junior military officer said.

Abu Sayyaf rebels were behind the abduction of a group of 21 people, including tourists from Germany, France, Finland and South Africa, from a Malaysian dive resort last April. All but one of the hostages, who were brought to nearby Jolo island, were released in August and September in exchange for more than 17.5 million dollars in ransom payments. The extremists are still holding captive an American national and a Filipino dive instructor in Jolo, where the military has been waging a campaign against them since last September.

(dpa)