Dos Palmas Kidnappings

Date: May 27, 2001 • Location: Baheli, Philippines

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 2001–2002.

Twenty tourists were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in Palawan, Philippines, triggering a hostage crisis that lasted for more than a year.

A hostage crisis in southern Philippines began with the seizing of twenty hostages from the affluent Dos Palmas Resort on a private island in Honda Bay, Palawan, by members of Abu Sayyaf jihadist group on May 27, 2001, and resulted in the deaths of at least five of the original hostages. Three of the original hostages were American citizens. In the 12 months following the initial hostage taking, at least 22 Filipino soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages. An unknown number of captors were killed by government forces.