Clashes in Sulu province between Abu Sayyaf and the MNLF have resulted in the deaths of 20 MNLF fighters and 17 Abu Sayyaf militants. The fighting began in the village of Patikul when the MNLF tried to rescue a captive Jordanian hostage from Abu Sayyaf; the hostage, along with several others, including a Japanese, a Malaysian, an Australian, and European birdwatchers Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerra, is still being held by the militants.
