Pirates kill 6 in boat hijack in Philippines

MANILA, Jan. 8 Kyodo

Armed pirates killed six people on board a small inter-island ferry they hijacked in the southern Philippines and made off with the victims' belongings, police said Monday.

A survivor who jumped off the motorized boat reported the incident, which occurred Saturday in waters off the remote town of Siay in Zamboanga del Sur Province around 800 kilometers south of Manila.

The boat was traveling between the villages of Payao and Kabasalan in Siay when the pirates attacked. Police reports said the pirates shot and hacked the passengers to death.

They then made off with two watches, a pair of earrings, 20,000 pesos ($400) in cash, the boat's 16 horsepower Honda engine and 20 liters of gasoline.

Pirates have killed scores of fishermen since last year in Zamboanga del Sur. Dozens of the province's scattered, uninhabited islands and islets are being used as sanctuaries by Moro rebels and other lawless groups.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Kyodo News International, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group