2000 Sipadan kidnappings
The 2000 Sipadan kidnappings was a hostage crisis in Sabah, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty-one hostages from the dive resort island of Sipadan at approximately 6:15 p.m. (UTC +8) on 23 April 2000, by up to six Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bandits. Taken hostage were 10 tourists from Europe and the Middle East and 11 Malaysian resort workers, 19 non-Filipino nationals in total. The hostages were taken to an Abu Sayyaf base in Jolo, Sulu.
| Sipadan kidnappings of 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Part of Islamic insurgency in the Philippines and Cross border attacks in Sabah | |
Sipadan Sipadan (Malaysia) Location of Sipadan Island in Malaysia | |
| Location | Sipadan, Malaysia and Jolo, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 4.114683°N 118.628756°E |
| Date | 23 April 2000 – 19 September 2000 (UTC+8) |
| Target | Local and foreign tourists |
Attack type | Hostage situation |
| Weapons | Automatic weapons, grenades and rocket-propelled grenades |
| Deaths | None |
| Injured | Several |
| Perpetrators | Abu Sayyaf |
During the hostage taking, Abu Sayyaf issued various demands for the release of several prisoners, including 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, $2.4 million and a complete withdrawal of government troops from the area around Jolo where the hostages were being held.
The Philippine Army launched a major offensive on 16 September 2000, rescuing all remaining hostages, except Filipino dive instructor Roland Ullah. Ullah was eventually freed in 2003.