Zamboanga City, Philippines - Three abducted staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were visited on Wednesday by a local official on the southern Philippine island where they were being held by Muslim militants.

Vice Governor Lady Anne Sahidula of Sulu province, which covers Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, said she met with Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba and their kidnappers.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Three Filipino public school teachers were seized Friday by unidentified gunmen off a southern Philippine city, a regional police chief said.

Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao said the victims were riding a passenger boat near Zamboanga City, 875 kilometres south of Manila, when the gunmen seized them Friday morning.

Sunglao said the gunmen who were riding on a separate motorized boat, boarded the passenger vessel and seized the three victims.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - An influential Muslim leader on Wednesday joined efforts to secure the release of three International Committee of the Red Cross staff members who were seized by Islamist militants in the southern Philippines.

The Philippine National Red Cross chairman Senator Richard Gordon had approached Muslim leader Nur Misuari to help in securing the release of the hostages abducted last week by Abu Sayyaf rebels on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Muslim rebels of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group were behind the kidnapping of three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on a southern Philippine island, the military said Friday.

First Lieutenant Esteffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman, said that based on initial field reports, it was the group of Abu Sayyaf commander Alpader Parad that seized the ICRC staff on Thursday on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Two marines were killed in an accidental grenade blast in the southern Philippines, a regional navy commander said Friday.

Commodore Alexander Pana said the accident occurred Thursday evening in the village of Comalig in Tipo-Tipo town, Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

He said details were still sketchy on how the grenade exploded, but noted the incident was "a plain accident" and not related to the military's offensive against Muslim militants in the province.

The military has stepped up its offensive against al-Qaeda-linked Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels in Basilan after a series of kidnappings by the guerrillas.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Suspected Muslim militants freed seven construction workers they seized a week ago on a southern Philippine island, a regional military spokeswoman said Tuesday.

First Lieutenant Esteffani Cacho said the victims were released unharmed on Monday in Tuburan town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

Cacho said the hostages were turned over to the emissaries of Lamitan town Mayor Roderick Furigay, who negotiated for their release.

No ransom was paid for the release of the hostages who were undergoing debriefing in a military camp in Basilan, according to Cacho.

The construction workers were seized on December 2 while hauling beach sand in the town of Mohammad Ajul.