MANILA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops rescued an Indonesian hostage on Friday following a gunfight that killed three Abu Sayyaf militants in the waters of Simisa Island in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.
But another hostage died due to drowning, the military added.
In a statement, the military said that Philippine Marines rescued Indonesian captives Heri Ardiansyah and Hariadin after shootout with three Abu Sayyaf militants at 5:45 p.m.
"Hariadin, however, died due to drowning," the statement read.
The militants and the captives tried to swim across the channel towards Bangalao Island to escape from the pursuing troops when they were spotted by the roving sea patrols, the military said.
Troops pursue Abu Sayyaf militants trapped on Simisa Island.
The military said the 10-minute gun battle further resulted in the death of three Abu Sayyaf militants and the seizure of several high-powered firearms, including two M14 rifles, two M16 rifles and an M203 Grenade Launcher.
The rescued hostage will be brought to the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command in Camp Navarro.
"Marine troops constrict Abu Sayyaf's movement with the all-out offensives launched to pound terrorists on said island," Lt. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, Western Mindanao Command chief, said.
On Thursday, troops also rescued Malaysian kidnap victim Jari Bin Abdullah who was abducted by the Abu Sayyaf militants in December 2018. The victim is now being treated in a medical facility in Mindanao due to his gunshot injuries.
With the rescue of the two Indonesians, the military said one more foreigner and three Filipinos are being held by the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Abu Sayyaf gained notice in the southern Philippines in the early 1990s, with demands for an Islamic state. It acquired a worldwide notoriety with a series of kidnappings and beheadings.
Philippine authorities referred to the Abu Sayyaf group as nothing more than a collection of bandits.
The Philippine government has formed an entire army division to hunt down the militants blamed for a series of kidnapping and bombings in the southern region, including the Jan. 27 twin bombings in a church in Jolo, Sulu, that killed 23 and injured more than 100.
