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U.S. Involves Into The Abu Sayyaf Chase
ISABELA, Philippines, June 30 (News Agencies) - High-tech surveillance equipment provided by the United States is being used to track down Abu Sayyaf guerrillas holding 23 American and Filipino hostages, a presidential spokesman said Saturday.
President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said in a radio interview that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considered the kidnapping to be an international crime "so they offered help and we accepted it."
"This is in the form of technical help. They loaned us some surveillance equipment," Tiglao said without specifying the type of equipment.
"It looks like the help is having some effect now," Tiglao said.
"This high-tech equipment seems to be helping."
Arroyo on Friday said she asked the United States "to help with their surveillance expertise and in supplying us with some modern equipment and their response has been positive."
Tiglao sought to play down reports that the Abu Sayyaf were demanding a ransom of one million dollars for their two American hostages, missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham.
Local television reports said the Abu Sayyaf, who launched their latest kidnapping spree on May 27, were seeking ransom for the American couple and were trying to sell a videotape of their hostages.
The gunmen, who insist they are fighting for an Islamic state in the southern Philippines, have previously denied they were seeking ransom but their past kidnappings have all involved demands for money.
The Abu Sayyaf were also quoted as saying they would kidnap more people, particularly Americans, if the government did not give into their demands.
"They are being squeezed already. They are looking for a way out by making these announcements and the asking the military to stop the offensives," Tiglao said.
He reiterated that the military was closing in on the Abu Sayyaf positions, citing a recent spate in clashes with the gunmen but he would not give further details.
However the military spokesman in the southern Philippines, Lieutenant Colonel Danilo Servando admitted that troops in Basilan had slowed down their pursuit due to bad weather.
He said the slowdown would be "temporary" and that troops were still closing in despite the heavy rains.
The Abu Sayyaf first seized three American and 17 Filipino hostages from a resort off the western island of Palawan and then evaded a military pursuit to take refuge in their stronghold in the thickly-forested southern island of Basilan.
Although some of their Filipino hostages have since been freed or escaped, the Abu Sayyaf have seized more hostages in Basilan and have killed four Filipino captives.
They boast of killing one of their American hostages, Californian Guillermo Sobero although his body has not yet been found.
The spokesman of military forces pursuing the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, Major Alberto Gepilano said soldiers killed one Abu Sayyaf commander in a raid on a hideout in the island of Jolo on Friday.
The slain man, Abdul Muksan, was involved in a similar hostage crisis involving 21 Filipino and
foreign hostages seized from a Malaysian resort, Gepilano said.
All but one of those hostages, Filipino divemaster Roland Ullah, have been recovered.
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