Islamist terror group in the Philippines Abu Sayaf released a video of the beheading of a German hostage on Monday, who was previously held captive by Somali pirates for two months, eight years ago.
The German hostage was executed after talks of his release in exchange for a 30 million peso (S$854,000) ransom collapsed. The terrorist group released the video on Monday afternoon showing the hostage Jurgen Kantner, 70, a sailing enthusiast, with his hands tied at the back and being beheaded at a jungle clearing.
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In the video, right before his execution, Kantner can be reportedly heard saying 'Now he'll kill me,' before a man began cutting his head off with a large knife. Kantner's beheading, however, has still not been confirmed by officials.
A report although stated that Kantner was beheaded on Sunday at around 3:30 pm in Buanza district, Indanan town, Sulu province, 1,500km south of the capital Manila, according to Strait Times reports.
Kantner was reportedly beheaded by Muammar Askali, alias Abu Rami, who purportedly is a unit leader of the brutal Abu Sayyaf group, which is linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Kantner was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf while he and his wife Sabine Merz were cruising in a dangerous area of the Philippines. Reports state that Merz was killed by the terrorists when she attempted to fight back with a shotgun.
The couple had been sailing the oceans for many years on their 53-footer, the Rockall. The duo were also held by Somalian pirates in 2008 for 52 days before being freed. Reports state that a six-figure ransom was paid to the pirates in exchange for their freedom.
"Until sufficient proof is obtained, our assumption remains that the kidnapped victim is alive and well. Do not believe unvalidated information going around until proven otherwise," the military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla had said on Sunday.
