THE Indonesian Embassy has reportedly established contact with the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that is holding hostage 10 Indonesian sailors deep in the jungles of Sulu province in southern Mindanao, an intelligence officer disclosed on Wednesday.

”The Indonesians are negotiating the safe release of their countrymen abducted by the ASG while their tug boat was sailing near the waters of Languyan town in Tawi-Tawi,” the intelligence source based in police general headquarters Camp Crame in Quezon City said on condition of anonymity.