Malaysian and Philippine vessels patrolled common border waters today in search of two Malaysians and an Indonesian abducted at sea, with authorities here saying they were being held by Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels.

But Malaysian ambassador Taufik Mohamed Noor told reporters after calling on President Gloria Arroyo here that Kuala Lumpur viewed Sunday's kidnappings in the Celebes Sea as the work of pirates.

Sam Walter of Indonesia and Malaysians Sien Nung and Toh Chienm Tiong were abducted after gunmen boarded their motor launch Ocean 2 in the area.

Philippine Navy spokesman Captain Geronimo Malabanan said intelligence reports showed that an Abu Sayyaf unit headed by a Commander Lajib was responsible for the kidnapping.

At least three naval vessels were scouring the area for any signs of the gunmen and the captives, who are still believed in Philippine waters near the Malaysian sea border.

A Philippine air force plane was also involved in the search. A Royal Malaysian Navy ship meanwhile was on the lookout from their end, supported by a unit from the Philippine navy special warfare group, intelligence operatives and marines, Malabanan said.

"We are now receiving reports from the field that the group who abducted the three were Abu Sayyaf members and the alleged leader is a certain alias Lajib," he said.

US and Philippine officials consider the Abu Sayyaf a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda, the Islamic group blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Act of banditry

But Taufik later told reporters: "I view the incident in the south, what happened last Sunday evening, as purely an act of banditry or even a criminal act."

He added: "We don't view this as an act of terrorism as such because it's been known that that area is a place of piracy, of banditry and for criminal elements to do mischief there."

Malabanan said navy vessels were also patrolling waters surrounding the southern island of Basilan where 53 inmates, including several Abu Sayyaf members, escaped from jail at the weekend.

Some 30 have been recaptured or killed, while 23 remain at large, 10 of whom are Abu Sayyaf rebels, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero.

Lucero said two fugitives who resisted arrest were killed late Monday.

The fugitives are believed to have hidden in the center of the island, Lucero said. - AFP