Basilan (11 November) -- The Basilan Provincial Police Office (PPO) has intensified its manhunt operation against suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits who snatched three staff members of a plywood factory in the province shortly after midnight Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Abubakar Tulawie, Basilan PPO director, identified the kidnap victims as Michael Tan, Oscar Lu and Mark Singson, who were forcibly taken by more or less 30 heavily-armed men who stormed inside the compound of a plywood factory located in Sitio Tehem, Barangay Townsite in Maluso town.

Tulawie said the fully-armed men were wearing camouflage uniform when they swooped down inside the compound at around 12:10 a.m. by destroying the wooden fence of the factory. The suspects, believed to be members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), then forcibly took the three victims.

"Said abductors forcibly entered by destroying the wooden fence located at the back portion of the said factory and forcibly took the victims," said Tulawie.

"Accordingly, suspects were wearing camouflage uniform with more or less 30 heavily-armed men and the victims were brought to unknown directions. Case is now under investigation," said Tulawie.

Prior to the abduction, Tulawie said concerned citizens reported they heard guns being fired in the vicinities of the factory.

Tulawie said he subsequently ordered intensified manhunt operations to track down the suspects.

Basilan province is a known stronghold of the terrorist ASG which has been involved in high-profile kidnappings.

The ASG gained notoriety following the abduction of more than 20 guests, including Europeans, of a posh Sipadan island resort in Malaysia in 2000 and the Dos Palmas kidnapping of more than a dozen tourists, including three Americans – missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Guillermo Sobero, the following year.