Abu Sayyaf beheading incidents


Abu Sayyaf was a radical Sunni Islamist group that has aggressively attacked civilians since the 1990s. It was notorious for beheading both military and civilian captives, especially when kidnap-for-ransom demands are not met. The victims included Filipinos, as well as foreign nationals. Abu Sayyaf primarily operated in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago of the southern Philippines.

List of incidents

VictimsDate
Number killed
Description
Filipino Christian schoolchildren, teachers and Catholic priest19 April 20002Two of 29 hostages being held captive since March 20, 2000 who are mostly schoolchildren as well as teachers and a Catholic priest are beheaded.
Filipino Christian villagers3 August 20019Nine villagers were beheaded after Abu Sayyaf group seized 30 hostages from a Christian village in the island of Basilan.
Guillermo Sobero19 June 20011
An American citizen kidnapped from the Dos Palmas Resort, the first foreigner beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf.
Jehovah's Witnesses22 August 20022Two Jehovah's Witnesses were kidnapped were beheaded and their heads been dumped into a public market in the southern Philippines. The heads were found in a bag with a note saying "infidels." A Filipino Army Commander said Abu Sayyaf did this because they want "to punish the nonbelievers of Allah".
Philippine Marines11 July 200714–23
14–23 members of the Philippine Marines were beheaded during an encounter with Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in Basilan.
Doroteo Gonzales17 May 20091A Filipino farmer kidnapped on April 25 was beheaded on May 17 after his family failed to pay a ransom for his release.
Gabriel Canizares9 November 20091On November 9, this Filipino teacher's head was found in a petrol station in Jolo three weeks after being kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf. His body was found on November 11 in Patikul, Sulu. Six other teachers who had also been kidnapped in the same year had all been released despite threats to behead them.
Filipino loggers11 June 20103Three men gathering wood near Maluso town on Basilan were abducted on June 11 and later beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants.
Philippine Marines28 July 201155 out of 7 members of a Philippines Marine unit were beheaded during an encounter with Abu Sayyaf in the jungle of Sulu.
Moro National Liberation Front2 February 201388 members of the Moro National Liberation Front were beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants during an encounter in Patikul.
Bernard Then17 November 20151After being kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants from a restaurant in neighboring Sandakan, Sabah on May 15, 2015, Then was brought to Parang, Sulu before being beheaded in Jolo after ransom demands were not met.
John Ridsdel25 April 20161An English-born Canadian who was kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants from a resort on Samal Island, Philippines on September 21, 2015, he was brought to Jolo together with Robert Hall and beheaded there. His head was found on April 25, 2016.
Robert Hall13 June 20161A Canadian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants from a resort on Samal Island, Philippines on September 21, 2015, he was brought to Jolo together with John Ridsdel and beheaded there on June 13, 2016.
Patrick Almodovar24 August 20161A Filipino teenager was executed after demands of at least one million dollars in ransom from the victim's family were not met. The beheading of a very young hostage led the Philippines President to order more troops to be sent to combat Abu Sayyaf terrorism.
Philippine Army29 August 201622 Philippine soldiers were beheaded during their encounter with the Abu Sayyaf, while 15 other soldiers were killed in a gunfight.
Jürgen Kantner27 February 20171German tourists of Jürgen Kantner and his companion Sabine Merz were abducted from his yacht off Malaysia's Sabah state in November 2016. Merz's body was later found on the boat with gunshot wound. A deadline for 30 million pesos in ransom expired on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Kantner was subsequently beheaded.
Noel Besconde16 April 20171A captain of four Filipino fishermen was beheaded a year after they were abducted. The victim was beheaded simply because he was sick and was slowing down Abu Sayyaf's movement from place to place during continuous military operation.
Anni Siraji24 April 20171A former MNLF member turned Filipino soldier was beheaded after he was abducted a week earlier. The motive for the beheading was believed to be retaliation after three members of the Abu Sayyaf were killed during a continuous military operation in the area.
Hoàng Trung Thông and Hoàng Văn Hải4 July 20172Two Vietnamese sailors of the Vietnamese cargo ship Royal 16 who had been kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in November 2016 were found beheaded in Sumisip town of Basilan.
Filipino loggers30 July 20177Seven Filipino loggers who had been kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf on July 20, 2017 were found beheaded in two separate towns of Basilan.
Abdurahim Kituh and Nadzwa Bahitla5 January 20182A Filipino couple was found beheaded in a village in Basilan.
Filipino villager17 January 20191A Filipino villager was beheaded with his body dumped near the house of the Abu Sayyaf arrested member in a village of Barangay Kajadtian, Sulu after the victim was suspected of giving information to local authorities that leading to their member arrestment in Indanan, Sulu.