By Hader Glang ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The body of an elderly German hostage who was beheaded by a Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group a week ago, has been found by soldiers in the southern province of Sulu. Col. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu, said the corpse of 71-year-old Jurgen Gustav Kantner, was discovered in the town of Indanan on Saturday. “Troops were conducting combat, search and retrieval operations in the area when they discovered Kantner’s body,” Sobejana said in a text message. No details on whether the body was dug up or simply dumped were given. Sobejana said Kantner’s body was taken to Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Hospital’s morgue in the town of Jolo for documentation and will temporarily be kept there prior to turnover to German authorities. Kantner was kidnapped from his yacht in waters off the southern Tawi-Tawi last year.
The Philippines government confirmed his execution a day after the Feb. 26 deadline by his Abu Sayyaf captors.
