The incident – the third in a month on tugboats plying international waters in Philippines’ Tawi Tawi islands that borders Sabah’s east coast – is believed to have occurred in Philippines waters around the 8pm Friday.

Of the crew members who escaped, one has been sent to Semporna for medical treatment while the other five sailed in their tugboat to Lahad Datu to seek police assistance.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said details of the incident was unclear. He confirmed that it happened in international waters.

"They have come to us for help,’’ he said, adding that police were still gathering more information on the injured crew member and the five who escaped.

It is understood that the Indonesian tugboat was on its way from the Philippines to Indonesia’s Banjarmasin when the armed men snatched the four sailors.

It is not known how the sailor was injured or whether any gunshots were fired.

On March 26, abductors linked to Abu Sayyaf grabbed 10 Indonesian sailors from the tugboat Brahman.

On April 1, four Malaysian sailors were taken from MV MASSIVE 6 near Sabah’s Pulau Ligitan.

The kidnappers have demanded RM5mil ransom for the 10 Indonesians while calls have been made to the families of the Malaysians also demanding for undisclosed ransoms.

Early Thursday, a picture of the four Malaysian hostages have been uploaded on Facebook.

The four sailors were seen squatting with one of them holding a piece of paper with the name "Victor Troy” with a date April 8, 2016 written beneath.

The Facebook page under the name "Victor Troy Poz" is believed to have been recently set up by the Abu Sayyaf group holding the four snatched from their tugboat high seas off Pulau Ligatan on April 1.

The four Malaysians - Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Hung Sing, 34, Wong Teck Chii, 29, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, all from Sarawak.



