Sunday, November 22, 2015

Search under way for Then’s body

From The Star Online (Nov 23): Search under way for Then’s body

KOTA KINABALU: The search is still on for the body of beheaded Malaysian hostage Bernard Then Ted Fen, whose severed head was found in a gunny sack dumped in Jolo town on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old engineer’s body is believed to have been buried in the Indanan province of the island of Jolo, which is a known stronghold of the Al Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

Jolo police chief Major Junpikar Sitin said the authorities were continuing the search for the place where Then’s body was buried.

Then was killed on Nov 17.
It was learnt that the Philippines military is also carrying out operations to locate the burial site.

Malaysians officials are also in Zamboanga City to meet the Filipino counterparts in efforts to positively identify whether the severed head is that of Then, through DNA tests.

If positive, Malaysia would request for the head to be brought back home as the search for the body was expected to take some time.

The Philippines’ police and armed forces believe that Then’s remains was buried in Barangay Tanan of the Indanan province.

The Abu Sayyaf terrorists beheaded Then after they gave a week’s grace for the Filipino-Malaysian negotiators to come up with more ransom money for his release.

A sweeper at Marina Street, Barangay Wall City in Jolo found the severed head.

Then was abducted by gunmen together with Sandakan’s Ocean King Seafood restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, on May 14.

Thien was released on Nov 8 but the terrorists refused to let Then go and demanded more money to be paid within a week.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/11/23/Search-under-way-for-Thens-body/

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