Jehovah's Witnesses Beheaded in Philippines

An Islamist group linked to al-Qaida beheaded two kidnapped Jehovah's Witnesses and dumped their heads in a public market in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said today.

Brigadier General Romeo Tolentino, army commander on the southern island of Jolo, said the heads of the two male hostages were found in bags with notes denouncing them as "infidels".

The bags were left at food stands about 100 metres apart at the main market in Jolo. The attached notes called for jihad.

"They did this because they want to punish the nonbelievers of Allah," he said.

The two men, along with four women, were abducted on Tuesday a few miles outside of the town of Jolo in Patikul district, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf group that appears to have survived a US-backed military campaign to destroy it.

The hostages had been selling Avon cosmetics, herbal teas and medical supplies on the predominantly Muslim island, police said.

Some Philippine newspapers described them as also being "preachers" who had been spreading their religion in Patikul, an area considered extremely dangerous for Christians.

For the second consecutive night, the army last night shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf hideouts. The group is known for mass kidnappings of Filipinos and others, including Americans and Europeans. Some have been beheaded.

The Jehovah's Witness kidnappings were the first by Abu Sayyaf since the US began supporting the Philippine military campaign to eradicate the group in February.

The six-month mission ended last month.