MANILA – Six villagers were killed when unidentified gunmen abducted a Filipino business couple in a southern
Philippine town, police said on Saturday.

Police officer Edwin de Ocampo of the Zamboanga del Norte provincial police said the gunmen broke into the house of the couple in a coastal village of Sirawai town in Zamboanga del Norte province and forcibly took the victims around 5 pm local time on Friday.

De Ocampo said a neighbor of the victims, a member of the military’s militia force, tried to rescue the victims but was killed in a brief shootout with the kidnappers.

Five more villagers were also gunned down by the kidnappers as they escaped, De Ocampo added. He said a child was also wounded in the crossfire.

De Ocampo said that a pursuit operation has been launched to rescue the couple. Police said it was the second abduction incident in Sirawai town this year. Early this year, a family of six were also abducted in the town. The
victims were later recovered in the remote Sulu province, police said.