Philippine Army Discovers Body Of Beheaded German Hostage

MEP: The body of an elderly German hostage who was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants has been found, the Philippine government said on Sunday.

Jurgen Kantner was abducted from his yacht in November and his body was retrieved on the island of Sulu and will be returned to Germany, the BBC reported on Sunday citing the officials as saying.

Mr Kantner’s companion, Sabine Merz, was found shot dead aboard their abandoned yacht in November.

“The Philippine government is deeply saddened but resolved as ever to respond to the recent discovery of the body of Mr. Jurgen Kantner,” President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Troops have clashed with the Abu Sayyaf in recent days, leaving 29 soldiers injured and 14 militants dead, according to the military which says it has been unable to recover the bodies of slain guerrillas.

Last month, a video was posted showing the beheading of Mr Kantner by a knife-wielding man shortly after a deadline for a 30m peso (£483,000; $600,000) ransom expired.

Abu Sayyaf is one of the smallest and most violent extremist groups in the Philippines, known for its brutality, including beheadings.