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| Abu Sayyaf militants release two hostages in Philippines | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Islamist militants in the Philippines have released two Filipino members of a TV crew, who were kidnapped last June. | |
| Ramel Vela and Roland Letriro have been taken to a hospital in the southern Sulu province after their release. It is unclear why the Jordanian reporter they were working with was not freed. | |
| The men were captured as they set out to interview Abu Sayyaf militants, a group linked to al-Qaeda. | The men were captured as they set out to interview Abu Sayyaf militants, a group linked to al-Qaeda. |
| A number of foreigners are being held for ransom in the southern Philippines. | A number of foreigners are being held for ransom in the southern Philippines. |
| Areas within Sulu province, whose capital is Jolo, and the wider region are used as bases by Islamist militants and rebel groups. | Areas within Sulu province, whose capital is Jolo, and the wider region are used as bases by Islamist militants and rebel groups. |
| Mr Vela, a cameraman, and Mr Letriro, an audio technician, were taken hostage as they set out to interview Abu Sayyaf militants in their jungle lair in the autonomous Sulu island province. | Mr Vela, a cameraman, and Mr Letriro, an audio technician, were taken hostage as they set out to interview Abu Sayyaf militants in their jungle lair in the autonomous Sulu island province. |
| "They really lost weight because they were constantly under stress each day," provincial police chief Antonio Freyra told the Associated Press. | |
| A Jordanian reporter, Abdulla Atyani, captured along with Mr Vela and Mr Letriro, is believed to still be in captivity, Mr Freya said. | A Jordanian reporter, Abdulla Atyani, captured along with Mr Vela and Mr Letriro, is believed to still be in captivity, Mr Freya said. |
| Meanwhile, Warren Rodwell, an Australian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in 2011, was shown alive in a video posted on social media last December. | Meanwhile, Warren Rodwell, an Australian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in 2011, was shown alive in a video posted on social media last December. |
| Looking thin and haggard in the video, Mr Rodwell said: "I personally hold no hope at all for being released." | Looking thin and haggard in the video, Mr Rodwell said: "I personally hold no hope at all for being released." |
| The Abu Sayyaf is on the US list of terrorist organisations. | The Abu Sayyaf is on the US list of terrorist organisations. |
| It is considered the smallest and most radical of the extremist movements in the southern Philippines. | It is considered the smallest and most radical of the extremist movements in the southern Philippines. |
| The group remains a security threat in the impoverished region where minority Muslims have been fighting for self-rule for decades. | The group remains a security threat in the impoverished region where minority Muslims have been fighting for self-rule for decades. |
| The main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, recently signed a peace accord with the government in exchange for broad autonomy. | The main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, recently signed a peace accord with the government in exchange for broad autonomy. |