Philippines verifying German hostage killed by Islamic militants
The Philippine military on February 26 said it has been verifying a claim that a German hostage was killed by the Abu Sayyaf Islamist militant group after authorities failed to pay a ransom on time.
German nationals Kantner and his wife Sabine Merz (Photo: dailymail.co.uk)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippinemilitary on February 26 said it has been verifying a claim that a Germanhostage was killed by the Abu Sayyaf Islamist militant group after authoritiesfailed to pay a ransom on time.
According to the military, the Abu Sayyaf groupdemanded a 30 million peso ransom (about 600,000 USD) by 3pm on February 25 torelease Juegen Kantner, the German hostage, aged 70.
The militant group claimed that it abductedKantner and killed his wife on a yacht in Malaysia’s Sabahz state in November2016.
An official said the hostage was beheaded in atown in the country’s southern province of Sulu, adding that Philippine troops arein the area.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has claimedthat the Aby Sayyaf group has links with the Islamic State militants in theMiddle East.-VNA
A leader of the Philippine Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf - Abraham Hamid - was killed by Malaysian security forces during a gun fight offshore Sabah state, Borneo island of Malaysia, on December 10.
Philippine authorities said that the government forces on January 18 arrested three people in Cotabato province of Mindanao, in the southern of the Philippines, suspecting that they have supported the self-claimed Islamic State (IS).
Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines freed two Filipinos held captive for nearly three months, the country’s military said on January 19, the second release in within a week by the Islamic State-linked group.
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said that the country received intelligence that shows closer links between domestic militants and the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) group.
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German nationals Kantner and his wife Sabine Merz (Photo: dailymail.co.uk) 
