Kidnappers dump headless hostages on island

Muslim rebels who kidnapped around 24 hostages, including three Americans, have dumped the beheaded bodies of two of their captives near a main road outside the capital of a remote island in the southern Philippines.

Police found the bodies of the two Filipinos near Isabela city today and yesterday found two other headless Filipino bodies in Tuburan town, an eastern area frequented by the Abu Sayyaf guerillas.

The discoveries have brought to at least eight the number of decapitated bodies that have been found on Basilan island since 5,000 troops started chasing several hundred members of the Abu Sayyaf group and the hostages they had seized in the region about a month ago.

In another development, Basilan governor Wahab Akbar reported a grenade attack on a home in Lanote Bliss, a suburb of Isabela.

The explosion, which caused no injuries, could have been a warning by Abu Sayyaf or a tactic to divert troops searching for their jungle hideouts, Akbar said.

The guerillas continue to hold about two dozens hostages on Basilan island, where thousands of Philippine soldiers are searching for them in dense jungles and swamps.

Nearly two weeks ago the rebels claimed to have beheaded one of their three American captives, Guillermo Sobero, 40, of Corona, California.

The military has said this is probably true, but soldiers and police have been unable to find his remains.

The beheaded bodies found today near Isabela belonged to two men who were captured earlier this month by the Abu Sayyaf insurgents from a nearby coconut plantation where they worked, said police sergeant Abdul Jumahalid.

Working on an anonymous tip, police located the two bodies about two miles from Isabela.

They were identified as Primitivo Falcasantos, a 40-year-old security guard from the Golden Harvest coconut plantation, and Crisantos Suela, a labourer in his 30s.

One of the bodies had a message written in ballpoint pen on its T-shirt saying that more people would be decapitated.

The heads of both victims were missing.

Hundreds of Basilan island residents gathered outside a police station as the bodies were brought there and relatives began to arrive to identify them.

Both men’s arms were tied behind their bodies, indicating they may have been tied up that way for a long time while held as captives.

About 20 people, including the three Americans, were seized from a beach resort in the south western Philippines on May 27 and taken by speedboat to Basilan, nearly 300 miles away.

Later the rebels seized other hostages at the coconut plantation and a hospital they briefly occupied.

Three Filipino hostages were released on June 14, carrying a letter to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, demanding an end to the military offensive she launched against the guerillas in April in return for the possible release of some captives.

Arroyo rejected the offer and vowed to destroy the rebel group.