Philippines gunmen 'release' students and teachers
Source: BBC NEWS
Military spokesman Lt Col Romeo Brawner later told the BBC all the hostages had been freed, following a stand-off.
A BBC correspondent says there is no sign it was linked to the killing of 57 people on Mindanao last month.
The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says there is much lawlessness in the southern Philippines.
'Demands'
About 15 gunmen - described by officials as members of a criminal gang - took part in Thursday's abductions.
Lt Col Brawner told the BBC's World Today programme: "Initially they released a first group of about 18 - 17 children and one adult - and just recently they have released every hostage already."
Police chief Marco Archinue told AFP news agency the men had earlier demanded the dropping of charges against them, including murder and robbery.
The incident took place in an area where communist rebels are known to operate, although it is not thought to be related to that four-decades long insurgency.
Nor are the abductions believed to be linked to a Muslim separatist rebellion elsewhere on Mindanao; those insurgents are in peace talks with the government.
Mindanao is an extremely volatile part of the archipelago.
Martial law was imposed on other side of the island in Maguindanao province last weekend after a political massacre there left 57 people dead.
 |
Armed bandits have released dozens of students and teachers they held hostage for several hours in the southern Philippines, military officials say.
At least 65 people were seized at a village primary school near Prosperidad on the east coast of Mindanao island. Military spokesman Lt Col Romeo Brawner later told the BBC all the hostages had been freed, following a stand-off.
A BBC correspondent says there is no sign it was linked to the killing of 57 people on Mindanao last month.
The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says there is much lawlessness in the southern Philippines.
'Demands'
About 15 gunmen - described by officials as members of a criminal gang - took part in Thursday's abductions.
Lt Col Brawner told the BBC's World Today programme: "Initially they released a first group of about 18 - 17 children and one adult - and just recently they have released every hostage already."
Police chief Marco Archinue told AFP news agency the men had earlier demanded the dropping of charges against them, including murder and robbery.
The incident took place in an area where communist rebels are known to operate, although it is not thought to be related to that four-decades long insurgency.
Nor are the abductions believed to be linked to a Muslim separatist rebellion elsewhere on Mindanao; those insurgents are in peace talks with the government.
Mindanao is an extremely volatile part of the archipelago.
Martial law was imposed on other side of the island in Maguindanao province last weekend after a political massacre there left 57 people dead.
Comments