COTABATO, Philippines - A Filipino-Chinese trader was seized by a group of gunmen in the restive southern Philippines on Saturday night, the military said on Sunday.

The victim, Carlos Tee, a gasoline station owner and worker at the Air Transportation Office in Southern Philippine town of Jolo, was kidnapped by seven armed men on Saturday from his house, said regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang.  

According to Cabangbang, the gunmen forced the victim to get into their getaway vehicle outside his residence in downtown Jolo at around 7:30 pm Saturday, and fled away immediately.

Cabangbang also said that the suspects have yet to communicate with the family of the victim.

"There is no contact yet (with the kidnappers). The police are waiting for them to negotiate," he said.

No one group has claimed responsibility for the incident, but the military is looking into the possibility of Abu Sayyaf rebels' involvement in the latest abduction, said Cabangbang.

Military and police forces have launched a search and rescue operations to rescue the victim, Cabangbang added.