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Govt discusses release of 4 captured sailors
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Stay confident – Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta. She said on Monday that the government was striving to secure the release of four Indonesian sailors being held captive by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines. (Tempo/-)
T
he government is focusing its attention on securing the release of four Indonesian sailors still being held captive by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines.
It readjusted its efforts following the release on Sunday of 10 Indonesian seamen who had been held hostage by the terror group since March.
“We will intensify coordination with related parties to carry out measures to release the four crewmen,” Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told journalists after meeting with Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on Monday.
Indonesian Military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso also attended the meeting to discuss the hostage release efforts, held at the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister in Jakarta.
The four Indonesian sailors were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf group after it failed to hijack vessels belonging to their shipping company in Malaysian and Philippine waters in April.
The 10 Indonesian sailors held hostage for more than a month in the southern Philippines arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma air base in East Jakarta on Sunday evening after being released earlier that day.
Both Luhut and Retno refused to comment on a ransom of Rp 15 billion (US$1.14 million) demanded by the militant group for the release of the four hostages. (ebf)
