Jolo - Abu Sayyaf gunmen abruptly called off the planned release of their mainly Western hostages in the southern Philippines yesterday, extending the agony of victims and relatives nearly four months into the crisis.
The small band of kidnappers, nominally Muslim separatist guerrillas, went back on their word to start freeing their Malaysian, Finnish, French, Franco-Lebanese, German, South African and Filipino hostages within 24 hours because of a "minor hitch", an aide to the chief government negotiator, Mr Roberto Aventajado, said.
He had said yesterday the gunmen could start freeing 14 of the 20 hostages today, prompting some of the governments with captive citizens to dispatch officials to Libya which had arranged a deal with the Islamist extremists.