MANILA: Britain and the US have warned their citizens to stay away from a southern Philippine region where suspected extremists are behind a wave of kidnappings, including those of 18 Indonesian and Malaysian tugboat crewmen.

The British government issued a travel warning, citing, "a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping."

Britain warned of the widening threat of kidnappings in coastal resorts and dive sites in Mindanao, while Canada advised citizens last week to avoid travel to most of the region.

“Kidnap groups in the Sulu archipelago have sought to expand their reach including by working with affiliates,” the British advisory said.

The US State Department too issued a fresh travel warning for most of the southern Philippines after a surge of kidnappings there, with some victims being snatched from vessels at sea.

Citizens were asked to defer non-essential travel to the Sulu archipelago "due to the high threat of kidnapping of international travelers, increased threat of maritime kidnappings against small boats ... and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism there."

The advisory cited “the high threat of kidnapping of international travelers, increased threat of maritime kidnappings against small boats, and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism.”

Foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to meet in Jakarta on May 3 to discuss an Indonesian proposal for joint patrols in the area of the recent kidnappings, Indonesian Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan said Thursday. “We don’t want to see this area become a new Somalia,” he added.

Filipino officials told AFP Friday they could not immediately confirm the ministerial meeting.

Abu Sayyaf militants have been suspected of seizing the Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen at gunpoint in separate attacks on three tugboats in recent weeks, sparking security concerns in the region.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines plan to convene a meeting of maritime officials to discuss ways to boost security along their sea borders, including using satellite technology to spot suspicious vessels and stop them before a possible attack.

The militant group, which currently has about 400 armed fighters split into several factions, has relied on huge ransoms earned from kidnappings, including of US and other Western tourists and missionaries, and extortion to survive for more than two decades.

The group abducted eight foreigners in the past three years, some from neighboring Malaysia. It continues to hold four westerners after killing a Malaysian and freeing other hostages reportedly for large ransoms.

In the past month, 14 Indonesians and four Malaysians aboard commercial shipping have also been abducted in nearby waters.