Philippines: Pirate Attack 3 Dead, 2 Hostages

A pirate attack off the Philippines reported here:

Three people were killed while two others were taken hostage when pirates attacked a trawler off Basilan Island in Mindanao, a local government official said.
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Quoting police reports, he said the pirates opened fire at the fishing boat, boarded the vessel, and killed three crewmen late Thursday. The bodies of the slain crewmen were later recovered.

"We don’t know whether the two hostages are still alive or not," Sakkalahul said.

Sakkalahul said authorities recovered the trawler but found it emptied and stripped of important parts. He said he had ordered maritime police and the Marines to intensify patrols at sea following the pirate attack.

Red arrow points to Basilan Island.