Military retracts report on recovery of Malaysian's headless body

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The military retracted Thursday its report that the headless body of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then Ted Fen was recovered in the mountain of Indanan town, Sulu, according to security official.

“No headless cadaver was recovered,” Navy Captain Roy Vincent Trinidad, chief of staff of the Joint Task Force Zambasulta, stated in their advisory.

The military on Wednesday reported that a headless torso believed to belong to Fen was excavated in Barangay Kagay, Indanan town about 4:30 p.m.

Trinidad said the area in Kagay had been the focus of the search where the body was reportedly buried.

Police on Tuesday night recovered a decapitated head along Marina Street, Barangay Walled City in Jolo town.

The severed head and a note of Fen’s name scribbled on it were placed inside a package.

READ: PNP conducting forensics on beheaded Malaysian

Military official reported that Fen was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf group at Mt. Taran, Indanan Tuesday about 2 p.m. after the victim’s family reportedly failed to pay the P40-million ransom.

Minutes prior to the beheading, the military launched airstrike and artillery attack to preempt the brutal execution of the kidnap victim.

The execution of Fen came ten days after the bandit group freed his fellow captive, restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun, after alleged payment of P30-million ransom.

Both victims were seized last May 15 from Sandakan, Malaysia and brought as captives in Sulu. 

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