Editing Abu Sayyaf (section)

===Targets===
Most Abu Sayyaf victims have been Filipinos; however, in recent years (especially from 2011 onwards), Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Swiss and Vietnamese nationals have been kidnapped or attacked.<ref name="attack on fishermen"/><ref name="AS involved"/>

Previously, Americans were particularly targeted. An unnamed ASG spokesman allegedly stated, "We have been trying hard to get an American because they may think we are afraid of them". He added, "We want to fight the American people."<ref name=ETaK>{{cite web|title=Engine trouble and kidnappings|url=http://www.sailingtotem.com/2014/06/engine-trouble-and-kidnappings.html|website=sailingtotem.com|access-date=May 16, 2015|date=June 25, 2014}}</ref>

In 1993, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped an American Bible translator. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf captured an American Muslim and demanded that the United States release [[Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman]] and [[Ramzi Yousef]], who were jailed for their involvement in the 1993 [[World Trade Center bombing]] in New York City.

Between March 2016 – July 2017, the majority of Abu Sayyaf kidnap for ransom operations shifted to the high seas. Seventeen ships were boarded and some sixty-five hostages from six countries were taken. In total, thirty hostages have been released (usually after a ransom was paid), seven escaped, three were rescued by Philippine security forces, and four were executed. Two others were killed during the attacks while eight seamen escaped during the shipjackings. An additional forty seamen were not taken hostage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Abuza |first=Zachary |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Why Vietnam Must Fight the Islamic State Terror Threat |work=The Diplomat by Zachary Abuza |url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/why-vietnam-must-fight-the-islamic-state-terror-threat/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129195325/https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/why-vietnam-must-fight-the-islamic-state-terror-threat/ |archive-date=29 January 2018}}</ref>