Abu Sayyaf militants abduct 2 workers

MANILA, Philippines  — A Philippine military official says Al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants have abducted two employees of a telecommunications company in the country's volatile south.

Marine Col. Jose Cenabre said Wednesday that three were traveling on board motorcycles when they were stopped by about 10 Abu Sayyaf gunmen Tuesday in a village in mountainous Patikul town in Sulu province. One of the three managed to escape while they were being dragged into the jungle.

Cenabre says marines looking for the gunmen and their victims later took into custody a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant for questioning.

Although weakened by battle setbacks, the Abu Sayyaf group remains a national security threat and holds several hostages, including two European birdwatchers and a Jordanian journalist.