http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/world/asia/abu-sayyaf-militants-release-norwegian-hostage-in-philippines.html 2016-09-17 15:27:55 Abu Sayyaf Militants Release Norwegian Hostage in Philippines The police said the Norwegian man, Kjartan Sekkingstad, whose fellow Canadian hostages were both beheaded this year, had been freed by the group for a ransom. === MANILA — The Abu Sayyaf militant group freed a Norwegian hostage in the southern The Norwegian man, Kjartan Sekkingstad, was released after the Islamist militant group received a ransom of about 30 million pesos, or roughly $630,000, the national police said in a statement. Mr. Sekkingstad was freed near the town of Indanan in the province of Sulu, and escorted to the home of the provincial governor. There was no immediate word on the state of his health. His release was facilitated by members of the Moro National Liberation Front, a former rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the government in the 1990s, the police said. He was kidnapped on Sept. 21 with the Canadians, John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, and a Filipino, Marites Flor. Mr. Ridsdel The Abu Sayyaf group, responsible for some of the country’s worst attacks, including the The Canadian government had steadfastly refused the ransom demands. Abu Ramie, a spokesman for the militant group, confirmed Mr. Sekkingstad’s release on Saturday, saying the group was happy that a ransom had been paid. The spokesman did not give details on the ransom’s handover. The group is known to be holding 22 other hostages, including a Dutch bird-watcher kidnapped in 2012. Mr. Ramie said that an exchange had originally been expected on Friday, but that a heavy presence of soldiers had prompted the group to scuttle the plan. It was not immediately known who had paid the ransom, or if it was in addition to previous payments. Last month, Mr. Duterte alluded to a 50 million-peso ransom that had been paid to free Mr. Sekkingstad despite a government policy against such payments. He did not elaborate on the statement, but in September he deployed about 9,000 troops to Sulu Philippine security forces also blame the group or its sympathizers for carrying out a bomb attack that killed more than a dozen people this month in Mr. Duterte’s hometown, Davao City.