By DPA,
Manila : A group of armed men Thursday seized at least 65 people, mostly school children, in the southern Philippines, the military and police said.
Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said about 25 heavily armed men abducted the hostages in the village of San Martin in Prosperidad town in Agusan del Sur province, 870 km south of Manila.
Calingasan said police have yet to determine the motive behind the incident.
Major Randolph Cabangbang, a regional military spokesman, said the suspects were believed to be members of an organised crime gang in the province.
“Intelligence operatives proceeded to the area to conduct an investigation and pursue the hostage takers,” he said.
Calingasan said the hostages were mostly school children and teachers. Cabangbang added that they also included two forest guards of a private logging company.