A quick look at Abu Sayyaf, the terrorist group behind Philippines kidnappings

OTTAWA – Robert Hall, who had been held hostage in the Philippines since September 2015, is believed to have been killed Monday by Abu Sayyaf. Here’s a quick look at the terrorist organization behind Hall’s apparent execution:

— Abu Sayyaf is a militant separatist group operating in the southern Philippines that wants to create an Islamic state in a predominantly Christian country, but has come to specialize in kidnapping foreigners for ransom.

— The group was founded in the early 1990s, and has been affiliated with the terrorist organizations al-Qaida and Jemaah Islamiyyah.

— The group operates in the western Mindano and the Sulu Archipelago, but attacked a ferry in Manila Bay killing more than 100 people in 2004, the single biggest terrorist act in history of the Philippines.

— In recent years, the Philippines security forces have attacked Abu Sayyaf, killing senior leaders and arresting others.

— Canada listed Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist entity in February 2002.