JAKARTA, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government on Monday called on the governments of the Philippines and Malaysia to step up security in their waters following the kidnapping of three Indonesian sailors by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants over weekend, an official said.
Indonesia also asked the government of the Philippines to carry out an operation to release 10 Indonesian nationals being held hostage by the militants, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.
"This kind of incident cannot be tolerated. We ask the government of Philippines and Malaysia to work hard to secure their waters,"Minister Retno said at the foreign ministry.
"For the government of the Philippines, we ask it to take serious efforts to immediately free our citizens," she stressed.
Three Indonesian sailors were abducted by alleged Abu Sayyaf militants on Saturday in waters of Malaysia, bringing the total of Indonesian nationals kidnapped by the militants in the waters of the Philippines and Malaysia to 24 since six months ago. Fourteen of them have been released.
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