Video shows beheading of German hostage

Abu Sayyaf extremists in the Philippines released a video showing the beheading of a German hostage in the first sign the brutal Philippine militants carried out a threat to kill him after a ransom deadline lapsed over the weekend.

Authorities were trying to confirm whether or not Jurgen Gustav Kantner, whom the extremists said they captured in November, had been killed.

The brief video circulated Monday by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, shows Jurgen Gustav Kantner sitting in a grassy clearing and saying "Now he kill me" shortly before a masked militant beheads him with a curved knife.

A few gunmen mutter "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great," in the video that lasts a minute and 43 seconds.

The militants threatened to kill him midafternoon Sunday if a ransom of 30 million pesos ($605,000) was not paid, Philippine officials said.

The Philippine military said it would not confirm Kantner's death unless it sees the captive's remains or other compelling evidence. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said he "will not dignify that video by watching it."

"They can shout and claim whatever they want but we will not rely on this," Padilla said, adding an ongoing offensive against the Abu Sayyaf and attempts to rescue foreign and local hostages held by the militants would continue.

The military receiving information about infighting within Abu Sayyaf, with some militants preferring to wait for a huge ransom and a more hardline commander demanding that the German be killed as the militants had announced, Padilla said, without elaborating.

In Germany, Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said German experts were evaluating the video to determine whether it was authentic, but that if it was, it's "deeply shocking."

(AP)