December 17, 2008, AP Worldstream, Philippine court convicts 4 Muslim militants, by Jim Gomez,

December 17, 2008, AP Worldstream, Philippine court convicts 4 Muslim militants, by Jim Gomez,

A Philippine court has convicted four Abu Sayyaf militants for the killing of two people during a 2001 attack targeting Westerners at a popular southern resort, officials said Wednesday.

Halik Abdani, Javier Sirri and Yusop Saddai were each sentenced to up to 40 years in prison for the murders, according to a copy of the Pasig regional trial court's decision seen by The Associated Press.

The fourth man, Saltimar Sali, was sentenced to only 15 years in prison because he was a minor at the time of the attack, the court said.

The court also ordered the militants to pay damages to the families of the victims.

The militants had planned to kidnap Western tourists at the Pearl Farms resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province in the May 2001 attack, but their speedboats ran aground at low tide _ a blunder noticed by guards who opened fire on them, prosecutor Aristotle Reyes said.

A guard and another resort worker were killed in a shootout before the militants backed off, he said.

Authorities captured the militants later, along with Abu Sayyaf commander Nadzmi Sabdullah, and Abu Sayyaf gunman Julashrey Abtani who turned state witness.

The case against Sabdullah was dismissed after he was killed during a 2005 attempt to escape from a maximum-security prison in Manila.

Reyes said the remaining 17 Abu Sayyaf gunmen involved in the attack remained at large.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to kidnappings, bombing and beheadings, is on the U.S. list of terrorist groups. The group has been crippled by U.S.-backed military offensives but remains a threat, especially in the Philippines' volatile south, where it is based.