Two Vietnamese crewmen beheaded by Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines

The decapitated bodies of two Vietnamese crewmen abducted last year by Abu Sayyaf militants were found yesterday on the southern Philippine island of Basilan.

The bodies of Hoang Thong and Hoang Va Hai were found by villagers in the town of Sumisip, the military’s western Mindanao command. Their heads were next to the corpses.

The two were among six crewmen of the Vietnamese cargo vessel MV Royal 16, which taken by gunmen last November off Basilan during one of many such raids.

One of the six crewmen was rescued last month. Three others remain captive.

Lt Gen Carlito Galvez Jr, the military’s regional commander, sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

“We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading,” Gen Galvez said. “In no way does the Abu Sayyaf group represent our Muslim brothers who are true followers of Islam.”

Officials said the bodies would undergo post-mortem examinations in co-ordination with the Vietnamese embassy in Manila.

In February, gunmen attacked another Vietnamese cargo ship off the Philippines’ southern tip, killing a Vietnamese crewman and abducting six others, including the vessel’s captain, the Philippine coastguard said.

Meanwhile, intense fighting with pro- ISIL militants who seized Marawi city, in Mindanao, has dragged on for six weeks, leading to the deaths of more than 400 people, including 85 security officers.

The dead include 39 civilians but the number could be higher as intense fighting has blocked authorities from the centre of the city.

Military planes and helicopters have been dropping bombs and firing rockets on militants occupying high-rise buildings in the city’s commercial centre. Marines and army rangers fought in house-to-house combat to retake the city.

Delfin Lorenzana, the defence secretary, said there was pressure on the military to defeat the Islamist militants before a 60- day period of martial law expires on July 23, a day before the president delivers his state of the nation address in congress.

“In my estimate, the clearing operations will take at least a week,” Mr Lorenzana said on Tuesday. He said the enemy’s resistance was waning as troops took control of more areas.

He said the Philippines last week sent a plane to the US to replenish supplies of weapons, ammunition and missiles.

Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine president, and Malaysian and Indonesian leaders have struggled to deal with attacks by Abu Sayyaf and allied gunmen, who target tugboats and cargo ships along their busy sea borders.

The three launched co-ordinated maritime patrols last month to intensify their fight against Islamic militants, piracy, kidnapping, terrorism and other crimes.

The pair were among crewmen on a cargo vessel that was seized by members of the militant group last November