Philippine Guerrillas Threaten Hostages

May 29 -- A Muslim extremist group in the Philippines is threatening to kill its 20 hostages, including three Americans, if the government attempts to rescue them.

Leaders of the separatist insurgent movement Abu Sayyaf have taken to local airwaves, threatening the 20 hostages snatched over the weekend from the Dos Palmas luxury resort in Palawan, about 370 miles south of Manila.

"If we encounter the military and find out they are operating against us, we will kill all the hostages," a man identified as movement spokesman Abu Sabaya told RMN (Radio Mindanao Network). "We are ready to die fighting. This is suicide...the government knows what to do. The government knows our capability."

Sabaya also reportedly made a similar statement to the DXRZ radio station.

"We will not think twice to conduct mass killing once the military will launch offensive operations," he said, according to Reuters.

Reward for ‘Neutralization’ of Kidnappers

The Departments of Interior and Local Government and Tourism have jointly offered a reward of one million pesetas (approximately worth $20,000) to anyone who could give "information leading to the arrest and neutralization of these kidnappers," said Brig. Gen. Ediberto Adan, a Philippines armed forces spokesperson.

Adan said that the alleged ski-masked kidnappers used "a three-engine boat that can load some 40 to 50 people" during Sunday's abduction.

"By all indications, it was a well-planned raid," said Adan. "[The suspects] were well armed, they had a high-powered, high-capacity boat."

Sabaya said the hostages had been divided into two groups and would be taken to different islands in Basilan and Sulu provinces, the Associated Press reported.

Naval ships were also deployed to search the area, and the military had been directed to launch offensives against the armed suspects once they reached their alleged destination, the island of Sulu in the southern part of the archipelago.

"The military is mobilizing all its resources to prevent the bandits from bringing their hostages to Sulu," said armed forces Southern Command spokesperson Lt. Col. Danilo Servando.