Killed Burnham, its wounded but released wife
Friday June 07, 2002 - 8h35 GMT
ZAMBOANGA (the Philippines), June 7 (AFP) - an American hostage held by islamists in the south of the Philippines was killed while his wife, blessée, were released at the time of an operation of help carried out by the army of Manila cigar Friday, indicated a General Filipino to the AFP.
The General declared that Martin Burnham had died and was not able to specify the gravity of the wounds of Gracia Burnham.
The couple of Protestant missionnaires was held since more than one year in the south of the Philippines by the group Abu Sayyaf.
They were kept on the island of Basilan whereas 5.000 soldiers Filipinos tried since months to come to end from the guérilleros with the assistance from a thousand of American soldiers serving advisers and trainers.
The couple originating in Kansas and which had spent fifteen years to the Philippines had chosen a seaside resort of the west of the archipelago to celebrate there its 18è anniversary of marriage last year.
May 27, 2001, of the guérilleros of the group Abu Sayyaf, known for its bloody taking of hostages, the paradise for tourists attacked and seized 20 people, of which Burnham, before regaining its stronghold of Basilan.
Abu Sayyaf, shown terrorism by the president George W Bush after the attacks of September 11, had decapitated in June of last year another American, a tourist, Guillermo Sobero, removed with the couple of missionnaires.
Martin Burnham slain, Gracia freed in rescue: report
Posted: 4:54 PM (Manila Time) | Jun. 07, 2002
Agence France-Presse
ZAMBOANGA – US hostage Martin Burnham was killed and his wife Gracia Burnham wounded but freed in a rescue attempt by the Philippine military on Friday, a Filipino general told Agence France-Presse. The Christian missionaries were taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas in the southern Philippines in May last year. "Martin is dead," the general said. "Gracia has been rescued, but she is wounded," he said without elaborating.
The rescue attempt was mounted in the early afternoon near the town of Siraway on Mindanao island's Zamboanga peninsula, said the general, who asked not to be named.
The Philippine military believes that for most of their ordeal, the Burnhams were held hostage on the nearby southern island of Basilan, where US troops are helping to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf rebels.