Philippines: Body of female foreigner found on yacht

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) - The body of foreigner has been found in a yacht on the coast of southern Philippines island the day after a self-proclaimed spokesman for a Daesh-linked group claimed that they had kidnapped two German citizens.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said in a statement Monday that the female corpse -- believed to be around 50 years old -- had sustained gunshot wounds and was discovered inside a yacht bearing a German flag on Laparan Island, Pangutaran, in Sulu.

"A shotgun was recovered beside the body," Tan said, adding that the the local army unit had immediately sent troops to verify and facilitate the recovery of the yacht for investigation.

On Sunday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that a phone caller had claimed that the Abu Sayyaf had snatched two German nationals in Tawi-Tawi province in the south, shot one dead, and continued to hold a 70-year-old.

"Unfortunately, the other one died. She tried to shoot us, so we shot her,” the man, who identified himself as Muammar Askali said.

During the brief conversation, Askali allowed the man he described as their new captive to talk to the Inquirer.

The man was reported to have introduced himself as Juegen Kantner, 70, and he identified his female companion only as Sabrina.

He said they were both taken at gunpoint at Tanjung Pisut in Tawi-Tawi.

On Sunday, authorities said that they were trying to verify a report that two Indonesian fishing boat skippers had been seized in a major sea lane and fishing area between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The kidnappings were reported to have taken place Saturday in separate incidents in Malaysian waters near Tawi-Tawi.

Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent province in the Philippines.

It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.

The Abu Sayyaf is among two militant groups in the south who have pledged allegiance to Daesh, prompting fears during the stalling of a peace process between the government and the country's one-time largest Moro rebel group that it could make inroads in a region torn by decades of armed conflict.