KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Police said Saturday (November 16th) an al-Qaeda linked terror group from the Philippines was believed to be behind the killing of a Taiwanese tourist and the kidnapping of his wife, AFP reported.

Unidentified gunmen shot dead Li-Min Hsu, 57, and kidnapped An-Wei Chang, 56, early Friday on Pom Pom Island in Sabah.

The incident – in a remote area rocked earlier this year by a bloody Philippine militant incursion – underlined continued threats in the region despite a Malaysian security clampdown.

Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the Islamist extremist group Abu Sayyaf was suspected to be behind the attack.

"We believe the terrorists were able to slip in because there has been a big mobilisation of resources of the Philippine armed forces from the country's south to the north to help out in relief work for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan," he said according to Bernama.

Khalid added the group of eight attackers were believed to have come in a speedboat.

Authorities are still trying to find the kidnapped woman with help from their Philippines counterparts, he said.