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Philippine military says troops found body of slain German hostage

Xinhua, March 4, 2017 Adjust font size:

A Philippine military official said on Saturday that troops had found the body of the 70-year-old German man who was executed by Islamic militants last Sunday.

Col. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu, said in a text message to the media that the body Juergen Gustave Kantner was found at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in a remote village in Indanan, Sulu.

He said Kantner's body is now in a local hospital morgue "while completing the documentary requirements prior to the transport" to Manila. He gave no other details.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza confirmed on Monday that the Abu Sayyaf bandits had indeed executed Kantner in the jungles of Sulu. The Abu Sayyaf criminals abducted Kantner in November last year while yachting with his wife off Sabah in Malaysia. His wife was found killed last year.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits have demanded a 30 million pesos (598,000 U.S. dollars) ransom for Kantner's release. The kidnappers set 3 p.m. last Sunday as deadline for the payments of ransom.

Duterte has said that the Philippine-based Abu Sayyaf group has links with the IS militants in the Middle East.

Duterte has ordered the military to launch an all-out offensive against the estimated 500 Abu Sayyaf bandits operating mostly in the hinterlands of southern Philippine provinces of Sulu and Basilan. Endit