Canadian hostage Robert Hall is believed to have been killed by his captors in the Philippines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday, in what appears to be the second execution of a Canadian hostage by the militant group Abu Sayyaf in the area in recent months. The group executed Canadian John Ridsdel, a former mining executive, in April. Trudeau said in a statement there was “reason to believe” that Abu Sayyaf had executed Hall. Abu Raami, spokesperson for the Abu Sayyaf Group, confirmed the beheading in a telephone call to a local newspaper, Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine security forces were checking intelligence reports that al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants executed Hall on the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo.

Source: Hindustan Times June 13, 2016 16:52 UTC