THE military yesterday described as ?ridiculous? demands by Islamic bandits holding three Red Cross workers that it suspend operations.

Members of the Abu Sayyaf, who have been holding the hostages in Jolo for more than two weeks, have called for the withdrawal of troops from the island, according to the local government.

?It is ridiculous for them to ask the military to pull out,? military spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres told reporters.

?We will not pull out. We will not listen to them. They are terrorists, and we will run after them.

?We will never negotiate with them and we discourage any efforts that would lead to the payment of ransom.?

Red Cross workers Andreas Notter of Switzerland, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Filipina Mary-Jean Lacaba were kidnapped by members of the Abu Sayyaf on Jan. 15 during a humanitarian mission to Jolo.

Nur-Ana Sahidulla, a local government official granted access to the group last week, said the hostages were being guarded by young Abu Sayyaf fighters and that their health was poor.

She said the gunmen demanded troops pull out from the island, and for foreign diplomats and national government officials to negotiate for the hostages? release.

She did not say if the rebels were demanding money, although past abductions by the Abu Sayyaf have often been resolved through payments of so-called ?board and lodging? fees?a euphemism for ransom.

Troops have said they know the general area where the kidnappers and their hostages are, but have temporarily suspended any armed rescue attempts to allow a local crisis committee to negotiate.

The Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the country?s worst terrorist attacks, including the 2004 bombing of a passenger ferry that left over 100 dead. They are also on the US government?s list of foreign terrorist organizations, and are wanted for the deaths of two American hostages seized in 2001.

Other armed groups are also separately holding three teachers, a nine-year-old boy, and a Filipino-Chinese businessman elsewhere in Mindanao.

And a sketchy report reaching the military headquarters said a still unidentified businessman was abducted in Jolo, in the same area where the Red Cross workers were snatched.

Torres could not give details on the latest kidnapping, apart from saying it took place around 10 p.m. Monday. AFP with Jaime Pilapil