MANILA, 1 Sept. (Xinhua) – Six villagers were killed when unidentified gunmen abducted a Filipino business couple in a southern Philippine town, police said Saturday.
Policeman Edwin de Ocampo of the provincial police of Zamboanga del Norte said that the gunmen broke into the home of the couple in a coastal town in the city of Sirawai in the province of Zamboanga del Norte and the victims took violently around 17.00. local time on Friday.
The Ocampo said that a neighbor of the victims, a member of the military force of the army, tried to save the victims but was killed during a short shooting with the kidnappers.
Five more villagers were also shot by the kidnappers while they escaped, De Ocampo added. He said that a child was also injured by the crossfire.
The Ocampo said that a pursuit was started to save the couple.
The police said that this year was the second kidnapping incident in Sirawai. At the beginning of this year, a family of six was also kidnapped in the city. The victims were later recovered in the remote province of Sulu, police said.
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