Philippine militants threaten to behead German hostage

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) - The Daesh-linked kidnappers of an elderly German sailor made a fresh ransom demand in a video released Tuesday, local security forces said.

Abu Sayyaf -- a network of militants based in the southern Philippines who have sworn allegiance to the Middle East terror group -- released a video of Jurgen Kantner via the chat app Telegram, the military’s Western Mindanao Command said.

The group threatened to behead the 70-year-old if 30 million Philippine pesos ($602,000) are not paid by Feb. 26.

Kantner and his partner Sabine Merz were in a yacht off the Sulu archipelago between Malaysia and the main Philippine islands when they were abducted on Nov. 5. Merz was killed during the kidnapping.

Abu Sayyaf is also thought to be holding other hostages from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as Filipinos.

Last year, the group beheaded two Canadian men after demands for millions of dollars were not met. In 2014, a German couple were released after six months when a ransom was allegedly paid.