Gunmen abduct 12 villagers in Basilan — police

Police said unidentified gunmen have abducted 12 villagers in a remote southern town in a feud possibly stemming from clan rivalry in recent local elections. Police said the villagers were abducted Saturday as they were returning from a fishing trip in Ungkaya Pukan township on Basilan Island, where al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants are active. Regional police chief Ben Latag said Tuesday that no group has claimed responsibility and investigators are looking at clan rivalry in recent village elections as a motive for the kidnapping. A police report said the gunmen are demanding a ransom and guns for the release of the villagers. — AP