American man abducted in southern Philippines

MANILA: Gunmen have abducted an American man living in the southern Philippines, shooting him in the leg and ferrying him away in a boat, police said on Friday.

The victim, named by police as Elliot Onil Eastman, was “forcibly taken” late on Thursday in Mindanao, a southern island wracked in previous decades by Muslim insurgencies and ransom kidnappings that have since waned.

A police report said the four gunmen introduced themselves as police officers and shot the victim in the leg when he resisted and attempted to flee.

A US embassy spokesman in Manila told reporters it was “aware of the reports and are coordinating with local authorities”, declining further comment.