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January 19, 2002, AFP, American hostages sighted in Philippine hostage island,

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Burnham VFA

January 19, 2002, AFP, American hostages sighted in Philippine hostage island,

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, Jan 19 (AFP) -

Philippine troops had found the two American hostages being held by Muslim guerrillas but were unable to rescue them, the regional military chief said here Saturday.

Lieutenant General Roy Cimatu said the American missionary couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham, were sighted with their Abu Sayyaf captors in the jungles of nearby Basilan island in the southern Philippines.

But he would not say when the sightings occurred.

Cimatu said the Abu Sayyaf were very mobile, making it difficult to pin-point their location to rescue the hostages.

Thousands of Philippine troops have been hunting for the Abu Sayyaf since they launched their latest kidnapping spree in May, abducting the Burnhams, another American and numerous Filipinos.

They have freed some of their hostages, allegedly for ransom, but have killed the other American, Peru-born Guillermo Soberoand over a dozen Filipinos.

The Abu Sayyaf still hold the Burnhams and a Filipina.

The rebel group, which are notorious for kidnapping foreigners and Christians in the south of the country, have been linked by the United States and the Philippines government to the al-Qaeda network of accused terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

This has prompted the United States to boost its military help to the Philippines and US forces are preparing to hold joint operations with government troops in the south that may lead to clashes with the Abu Sayyaf.

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