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12/10/2009
Priest Snatched In The Philippines
A 79-year-old Irish priest has been kidnapped by armed men in a southern region of the Philippines.
Father Michael Sinnott, from Barntown in Co Wexford, was taken by six gunmen after they stormed his residence near the southern city of Pagadian.
An extensive search has since been launched for the priest who is understood to be a member of the Missionaries of St Columban.
It has since been revealed by Regional police in the area that the gunmen took Fr Sinnott to a waiting van, which was later found abandoned and torched in a coastal area. They then boarded a small vessel and headed out to sea.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but Muslim guerrillas who have been fighting for a separate homeland in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south are suspected.
Previous kidnappings targeting foreign missionaries and tourists have been blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
Fr Sinnott is the third Irish priest to be kidnapped in the area.
In 1997, Fr Des Hartford was held by Islamic militants for 12 days, and in 2001 a priest from Waterford, Fr Rufus Hally, was shot dead during an attempted abduction.
(DW/GK)
Father Michael Sinnott, from Barntown in Co Wexford, was taken by six gunmen after they stormed his residence near the southern city of Pagadian.
An extensive search has since been launched for the priest who is understood to be a member of the Missionaries of St Columban.
It has since been revealed by Regional police in the area that the gunmen took Fr Sinnott to a waiting van, which was later found abandoned and torched in a coastal area. They then boarded a small vessel and headed out to sea.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but Muslim guerrillas who have been fighting for a separate homeland in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south are suspected.
Previous kidnappings targeting foreign missionaries and tourists have been blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
Fr Sinnott is the third Irish priest to be kidnapped in the area.
In 1997, Fr Des Hartford was held by Islamic militants for 12 days, and in 2001 a priest from Waterford, Fr Rufus Hally, was shot dead during an attempted abduction.
(DW/GK)
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13 October 2009
Kidnapped Priest Spotted
Fr Michael Sinnott, the Irish priest kidnapped in the Philippines, is reported to have been seen alive. The sightings have come from an area where Islamist militants are known to operate. Authorities said the 79-year-old priest and his heavily armed captors were seen yesterday on the coast of Moro Gulf on the southern island of Mindanao.
Kidnapped Priest Spotted
Fr Michael Sinnott, the Irish priest kidnapped in the Philippines, is reported to have been seen alive. The sightings have come from an area where Islamist militants are known to operate. Authorities said the 79-year-old priest and his heavily armed captors were seen yesterday on the coast of Moro Gulf on the southern island of Mindanao.
13 November 2009
Kidnap Priest To Stay On
The freed priest, Fr Michael Sinnott - who is resting at the Columban missionaries' compound in the capital Manila after a 32-day kidnap ordeal - is to remain in the country. The 79-year-old cleric, who suffers from a serious heart problem, said his captors treated him well and he remained in good health despite the primitive conditions.
Kidnap Priest To Stay On
The freed priest, Fr Michael Sinnott - who is resting at the Columban missionaries' compound in the capital Manila after a 32-day kidnap ordeal - is to remain in the country. The 79-year-old cleric, who suffers from a serious heart problem, said his captors treated him well and he remained in good health despite the primitive conditions.
23 October 2009
Columbans Deny Reports Of Priest's Death
The Columban Fathers in the Philippines have denied reports the kidnapped Irish priest Fr Michael Sinnott is dead. The religious order is locked in negotiations for release of the 79-year-old Fr Sinnott's who was abducted by an armed gang in the city of Pagadian while taking a stroll on 11 October.
Columbans Deny Reports Of Priest's Death
The Columban Fathers in the Philippines have denied reports the kidnapped Irish priest Fr Michael Sinnott is dead. The religious order is locked in negotiations for release of the 79-year-old Fr Sinnott's who was abducted by an armed gang in the city of Pagadian while taking a stroll on 11 October.
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