ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police and military authorities in Basilan claimed they have pinpointed the location of the Abu Sayyaf Group bandits responsible in the kidnapping of three plywood factory workers in Maluso, Basilan last Tuesday.

Authorities said the area is now being highly considered for a rescue operation and to neutralize the group.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed elite forces to track down the Abu Sayyaf bandits and rescue the hostages, Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said.

Arevalo said the elite forces are from the Marines and Army who are trained to carry out specialized missions.

Marine Brig. Gen. Eugenio Clemen, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade based in the province immediately deployed the soldiers after receiving report about the location of the rebels in Basilan province.

Clemen said pursuing troops have recovered a fragmentation grenade in one of the escape routes of the kidnappers, indicating that the group is just near the area.

Abu Sayyaf fighters seized Michael Tan, 27, Oscar Lu, 51 and Mark Singson around 12:10 a.m. Tuesday from the Hi-Tech Plywood Factory in Barangay Townsite in Maluso town.

Puruji Indama, a mid-level leader of the Abu Sayyaf operating in Basilan province personally led the raid and took custody of the three captives, Basilan police director Supt. Abubakar Tulawie disclosed.

Tulawie declined to divulge the kidnappers' location so as not to jeopardize the ongoing operations.