Breaking: Malaysian hostage Bernard Then beheaded by Abu Sayyaf

KOTA KINABALU: Sarawakian Bernard Then (pic), held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf terror group, has been killed in the southern Philippines.

He was beheaded by the gunmen at about 4pm in the island of Jolo.

Then is the first Malaysian hostage to have been beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf.

Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, confirmed that Then was decapitated.

Sources from the military and social workers in the Philippines are indicating that the 39-year-old electrical engineer was killed by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen who were being pursued by Philippine military in the Butaran Hill area around Indanan village in Jolo island.

According to Jolo-based social workers, the Abu Sayyaf plan to release a video of the alleged beheading soon.

They said they received news of the beheading, but could not confirm which Abu Sayyaf leader carried out the killing.

The group holding Then was led by Indang Susukan.

So far, Philippines officials have not confirmed the incident.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said that they have yet to receive any word about Then, who was grabbed along with restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, from Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan on May 15.

Thien was released on Nov 8 by the gunmen and is now back in Sandakan.

Related story:
Unmet ransom demands led to Then's beheading, says Philippine military

Open the HALAL BEER.

look like they cut off his four fingers first

Don't expect Malaysia gov to do anything. Since UMNO always dislike Malaysian Chinese, they probably thanking Abu Sayyaf for getting rid of 1 Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia.

Will UMNO declare a Jihad to avenge their fellow jiuhukia?

Devil Within said:

Don't expect Malaysia gov to do anything. Since UMNO always dislike Malaysian Chinese, they probably thanking Abu Sayyaf for getting rid of 1 Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia.

Click to expand...

You expect better fom 4G forces from SAF?

virus said:

You expect better fom 4G forces from SAF?

Click to expand...

ahem. soon to be 5g with google glass, nose and pacifier.

virus said:

You expect better fom 4G forces from SAF?

Click to expand...

We certainly do! No sinkie has yet to be kidnapped from a beachfront restaurant from Singapore by amateur terrorists on a speedboat. The m&ds can't even keep their country safe from low-tech pirates and terrorists.

just 50 years or so ago, communist party of malay cadres (mostly chinese who wants to turn malay land into a province of china) also beheads people whom they regard as traitors or gahmen informants. Or just to scare the villagers not to be one, an innocent will be killed this way. or sometimes, their deaths are even worse.

Is this how Muslim communicates?

What great social skills they have.

harimau said:

Is this how Muslim communicates?

What great social skills they have.

Click to expand...

Japanese used to do the same thing on chinese during WWII. Look where they are now. Totally transformed.

What is this idiot doing in flips' place ? Idiot.

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A severed head believed to be that of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then was found near a municipal council building on Jolo Island in the Philippines on Tuesday (Nov 17) evening, according to southern Philippine police officials.

Jolo police chief Major Junpikar Sitin told The Star that a street sweeper found the head inside a sack with the words "Bernard Then Ted Fen" at Marina Street at Barangay Wall City in Jolo about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

He said they immediately cordoned the area off and subsequently took the head away for preservation at about 10.30pm.


"We have turned over the head to the military task force for preservation and DNA tests," he said.

Major Sitin said the military doctors at the brigade camp in Jolo were now preserving the head pending a DNA test with Mr Then's family.

However, he could not tell why the 39-year-old Sarawakian engineer was executed while negotiations were going on for his release.

"We are still investigating," he said adding that only a DNA test could ascertain the death of Mr Then.

The body of Mr Then, who was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf terror group at about 4pm on Tuesday, was reportedly buried not far from the vicinity of Barangay Tanan in Indanan, where he was mostly held during his more than six months of captivity.

Intelligence reports from Jolo indicated that Mr Then was executed by the Abu Sayyaf faction led by Idang Susukan in Indanan following a week-long deadline given to meet the demand for higher ransom that was made during the release of Sabah restaurant owner Thien Nyuk Fun on Nov 9.

The reports also stated that the beheading occurred when the Philippines military intensified its operations against the Abu Sayyaf in the Indanan area.

Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, who had confirmed that Mr Then was beheaded, also stated that the body was immediately buried in the vicinity of where the beheading took place.

He also said that the beheading occurred as the military launched an artillery attack on the hostage-takers' position in Jolo.

Brig-Gen Arrojado said efforts were now being made to locate Mr Then's remains.

Mr Then was grabbed along with Sahaban Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, from the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan on May 15.

Ms Thien was released on Nov 8 and has kept a low profile since her return to Sabah as she recovers from the ordeal.

Susukan's group, which also included Abu Sayyaf sub commanders Alden Bagade, Angah Adji and Ahabsy Misaya had been insisting of a full ransom payment of 60 million pesos (S$1.8 million) for the two hostages instead of 30 million pesos, which was purportedly paid for release of Ms Thien.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, said he and all Malaysians were "shocked and sickened" by Mr Then's murder, condemning it "in its strongest terms" and extending his prayers and condolences to Mr Then's family and friends.

"We call upon authorities to take action against those who have perpetrated this savage and barbaric act and ensure that they are brought to justice. We will also extend our full cooperation to relevant agencies and authorities in charge on the investigation of this incident," he added