Video surfaces of Abu Sayyaf terrorists threatening lives of Malaysian and two others

KOTA KINABALU: Abu Sayyaf terrorists holding a Malaysian and two Indonesian fishermen hostage are threatening to behead the trio if no ransom is paid for their release.

A video has been making its rounds, showing one of the Indonesian men with a knife held to his neck appealing to Indonesian president as well as an Indonesian negotiator to help secure their release.

The video was uploaded on Facebook by user Kim Hundin at about 5am on Feb 14 and appears to have been edited from a longer video.

The two hostages seen in the video with their faces covered are believed to be Indonesians Heri Ardiansyah, 19, and Hariadin, 45.

The two were kidnapped together with Malaysian hostage Jari Abdulla, 24, from their Sandakan-based fishing trawler in eastern Sabah waters close to the Philippines' Tawi Tawi Island chain on Dec 5.

The video surfaced several days after Abu Sayyaf gunmen called Jari's wife, Nadin Junianti Abdullah, saying that no Malaysian authorities or negotiators have contacted them to secure her husband's release.

The gunmen, who spoke in broken Bahasa Malaysia, said that her husband would face "difficulties" if there was no contact from Malaysia.

They also asked her for telephone contacts of Malaysian journalists during the call at around 7pm on Feb 11.

In an interview in Sandakan on Feb 14, Nadin urged Malaysian authorities to help secure her husband's release.

She said it was second time the kidnap group had contacted her.

There was no indication of a ransom demand.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah have said that they were working with their Philippines counterparts to secure the hostages' release.