Philippine Kidnappers Describe Beheading Hostages as 'Jihad'

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 22, 2002

Philippine Kidnappers Describe Beheading Hostages as 'Jihad'

A letter supposedly left by suspected Abu Sayyaf members beside the head of one of their victims described as "jihad" the action of beheading their hostages who don't believe in Allah.

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A letter supposedly left by suspected Abu Sayyaf members beside the head of one of their victims described as "jihad" the action of beheading their hostages who don't believe in Allah.

"A letter was found from one of the heads warning that those who do not believe in Allah will suffer the same fate. They said what they did was Jihad," Brigadier General Romeo Tolentino, the military chief in the southern Philippine island of Jolo was quoted as saying by the Philippine Daily Inquirer online news on Thursday.

Two of the six hostages who were abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits Tuesday were beheaded by their abductors. Their heads were found separately in a market in Jolo on Wednesday nightand early morning of Thursday.

The six kidnapping victims were cosmetics salesmen working for the famous brand Avon. They were allegedly kidnapped by Muin Maulod Sahiron, a nephew of Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron, and his followers while they were aboard a public utility jeepney.

The two beheaded, Lemuel Mantolo and Lionel Manticwere, were identified as Jehovah's Witnesses preachers by their colleagues.

There were two Muslims seized together with the six Avon salesmen, but they were freed unharmed.

The military was again caught by surprise after the abduction owing to the fact that the mobility of the Abu Sayyaf bandits was constricted after thousands of government troops have been deployed to Sulu to crush Abu Sayyaf forces.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman General Eduardo Purificacion on Thursday pointed out that there are a number of lawless elements going around in Sulu that could have perpetrated the kidnapping, the Philippine Star online news reported.

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