May 21, 2001 Abu Sayyaf kidnappings

Dos Palmas kidnappings of 2001
Part of Islamic insurgency in the Philippines
Dos Palmas Resort, Honda Bay Dos Palmas Resort, Honda Bay (Philippines) Location of Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan
Coordinates	Coordinates: 9°54′00″N 118°47′00″E / 9.9°N 118.783333°E / 9.9; 118.783333
Date	May 27, 2001 – June 7, 2002 (UTC+8)
Target	Local and foreign tourists
Attack type	Hostage situation
Weapons	Automatic weapons, Grenades and Rocket Propelled Grenades
Deaths	More than 40
Non-fatal injuries	Numerous
Victims	Guillermo Sobero and Martin Burnham
Perpetrators	Around 40 Islamist militants

The Dos Palmas kidnappings was a hostage crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from the affluent Dos Palmas Resort on a private island in the Honda Bay, Palawan, by members of Abu Sayyaf on May 27, 2001 and resulted in the deaths of at least five of the original hostages, including the two American citizens, Guillermo Sobero and Martin Burnham. At least 22 Filipino soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages in the 12 months following the initial hostage taking. An unknown number of captors were killed by government forces.

During the crisis the number of those taken captive varied greatly as more hostages were seized in numerous raids on the island of Basilan; therefore, a total of those taken prisoner at some point may be impossible to determine. However, news reports suggested at least 100 hostages were taken and around 20 murdered in just over a year up until the final assault and freeing of Gracia Burnham on June 7, 2002. Even some local and foreign journalists covering the high-profile kidnappings were themselves held captive for some time.

Gunmen arrived in two boats early on May 27, 2001 at a resort in Honda Bay to the north of Puerto Princesa City on the island of Palawan. They proceeded to abduct without incident 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans, identified as Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries from the state of Kansas who were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary, and Guillermo Sobero, a Peruvian-born American from California. Most of those seized were ethnic Chinese Filipino tourists.