Msian hostage in Philippines beheaded
By NSTOnline - 17 November 2015 @ 10:58 PM
In May, Then was abducted with 50-year old seafood restaurant owner Thien Nyuk Fun. Both of them were taken hostage after Filipino gunmen stormed the floating Seafood King Restaurant in Sandakan.
KUALA LUMPUR: Bernard Then, the Malaysian abducted in May this year by militants from the Abu Sayyaf terror group, has been killed.
Federal police sources told the New Straits Times that foreign reports claiming that the 39-year-old engineer from Sarawak had been killed by his captors, "were correct.
"Police however declined to disclose more information at the moment.
A spokesman for the Philippines military's Joint Task Group Sulu had told the NST that they had received a report on Then's death, but could not confirm if his remains have been found.
The Singapore Straits Times in a report tonight said Then was believed to have been beheaded by his captors.
Quoting the Philippines' Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, Then was beheaded about 4pm today at a remote Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Jolo island.
According to the report, Arrojado said Then's family had "failed to comply" with the militants' demands during their negotiations, leading them to execute their plan.
Then’s body was allegedly buried near the vicinity of the beheading.
The Straits Times also reported that Then was supposedly suffering from leg injuries sustained while being held captive, and had been slowing down his captors.
It was claimed that the Abu Sayyaf group had earlier threatened to behead him just after releasing Thien.
In May, Then was abducted with 50-year old seafood restaurant owner Thien Nyuk Fun.
Both of them were taken hostage after Filipino gunmen stormed the floating Seafood King Restaurant in Sandakan.
Thien was released earlier this month.
It was reported that a ransom of 30 million pesos (RM 2.7 million) was paid to secure Thien’s release.
