JAKARTA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will repatriate two nationals who escaped from Abu Sayyaf terrorist group's custody following recent raid against the group's stronghold island in the Philippines' Sulu province, an Indonesian foreign ministry official said on Saturday.
One of the two Indonesian hostages died in their struggle to swim to the province's Bangalao Island from Simusa Island which was raided by the Philippine mariner troops in the last two days.
The Indonesian hostage, identified as Heri Ardiansyah, and body of Hariadin now are kept in the Philippine's Westmincom military base in Zamboanga City.
They will be handed over to representatives of Indonesian government, Indonesian Foreign Ministry Citizen Protection Director Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said.
"Indonesian government would repatriate them as soon as possible after the handing over session," Lalu said in a statement.
Hariadin drowned in his struggle to swim out from Simusa Island with Heri Ardiansyah on Friday afternoon. They were picked up from the sea by the Philippines' navy boat patrolling around the waters.
The Philippine military said that their troops managed to kill three Abu Sayyaf militants who pursued the Indonesian hostages in the sea.
In a separated event, a Malaysian hostage, identified as Jari Abdullah, was shot during the raid on Thursday. He died in a Zamboanga City hospital after being evacuated from the shootout scene by the Philippines troops.
Heri, Hariadin and Jari were three fishing boat crews kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in Malaysia's Sandakan Kinabatangan waters on Dec. 5 last year.
They were kidnapped for ransom by the Islamic-State (IS)-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group based in Southern Philippines.
According to the ministry's data, 36 Indonesian nationals have been kidnapped in Southern Philippine waters since 2016, of which 34 have been released.
