Muslim rebels in the Philippines said todaythat they had executed one of three American hostages seized in May from a beach resort.
Military and political spokesmen said that they had no confirmation.
|
A top security official, meanwhile, said an offensive against the kidnappers on the southern island of Basilan would continue and no ransoms would be paid.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels told RMN radio station they had beheaded Guillermo Sobero, 40, from Corona, California.
"We have executed Guillermo Sobero as a gift to the country on independence day," a rebel spokesmansaid."The military better hurry up in the rescue because they may not recover anyone alive."
June 12th is Independence Day in the Philippines.
Sobero was one of three Americans and 17 Filipinos kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on May 27th from a beach resort in Palawan in the southern Philippines. Nine of the Filipino hostages have escaped or been rescued while two have been found dead, apparently executed by the rebels.
The Abu Sayyaf said yesterday they were postponing a threat to execute their three American hostages after the government backed down and agreed to let a Malaysian negotiate with them.
But just before the announcement, 20 gunmen from the same group swooped on the village in Lantawan on Basilan and grabbed 15 new hostages.
The Abu Sayyaf says it is fighting for a separate state in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines but its main preoccupation seems to be kidnap for ransom. Last year, it kidnapped dozens of hostages, both foreigners and Filipinos.