A Philippine court has jailed 14 Muslim militants for life for the high-profile abduction of a group of tourists in 2001 that left five hostages dead.
Abu Sayyaf militants seized Filipinos and Americans from a resort and held them for a year in a jungle area.
They beheaded three of the abductees, including one American. Two more people died in a military rescue operation a year later.
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Abu Sayyaf is the group behind the Philippines' worst terror attack - a ferry bombing in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.
The US lists it as a terrorist organisation and says it has links to al-Qaeda. But in recent years it has lost power somewhat as several of its key leaders have been killed.
Rescue operation
The group of about 20 people were snatched at gunpoint from the Dos Palmas beach resort on the western island of Palawan in May 2001.
They were then taken by boat to the southern island of Basilan and held for months in mountainous terrain.
Three of the hostages - two Filipinos and American Guillermo Sobero - were beheaded by the militants as negotiations played out.
Some of the hostages were freed or escaped and in June 2002 the army launched a rescue operation to free those remaining in captivity.
Two of the hostages died in the firefight - a Filipino nurse and US missionary Martin Burnham. His wife, Gracia, was shot in the leg.
She later described her abduction in a book, alleging local soldiers had been assisting the militants - prompting Philippine President Gloria Arroyo to order an investigation.
More than 80 people were originally charged in connection with the crime, 23 of whom were captured.
The trial began in 2003, but four of the suspects were killed in a prison break and one was earlier cleared of all charges.
The abduction prompted the US to begin training Filipino soldiers in counterterrorism operations - something that continues today.
US trainers are based around Jolo and Basilan in the south where remnants of the Abu Sayyaf group, as well as militants affiliated to other Islamist groups, are believed to be hiding.
There are sporadic clashes in the area and in August, battles between the Philippine military and militants on the island of Jolo left at least 50 people dead, the military said.
(BBC)
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