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Four More Hostages Beheaded by Abu Sayyaf in Philippines
The notorious Abu Sayyaf group beheaded four more hostages on Saturday, bringing to nine the number of hostages it killed since the group attacked in the southern Philippines on Thursday.
The four headless bodies and the severed heads were found inside a coconut plantation in a village of Lamitan town in the southern island province of Basilan, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported Sunday.
The victims were among the 21 hostages kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in a raid on Balobo village near Lamitan on Thursday night. Five of them were found dead on Friday.
"Everybody is very sad. There should be a non-stop operation," Lamitan Mayor Inocente Ramos was quoted as saying.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon, who was in Balobo when the bodies were found, reportedly called for the deployment of more troops, saying "the people need to be reassured that there is still a government. "
The latest abduction took place as some 5,000 government troops are still in hot pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf rebels to rescue the more than 20 remaining hostages in their hands.
On May 27, the rebels seized 20 people, including three Americans, at a resort in the western province of Palawan and later kidnapped another 19 hostages in Basilan while on the run from the military.
Thirteen Filipino hostages have escaped or been released allegedly after ransom was paid, while four others have been killed by the kidnappers. The Abu Sayyaf also claimed to have beheaded American hostage Guillermo Sobero, but his body has not been found yet.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered a massive crackdown on July 13 to neutralize the rebel group and rescue the hostages.
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