U.S. Official: Indications of Rebels Beheading U.S. Hostage

June 12 -- Hours after Muslim rebels claimed to have beheaded a U.S. hostage in the Philippines, there were indications that one of three Americans kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf was killed by the guerrillas.

As claims of the beheading of Guillermo Sobero, a 39-year-old California native attracted widespread condemnation in the international community, a senior U.S. official told ABCNEWS that sources had seen a videotape of the beheading.

The indications came as Filipino troops found a headless torso on the other side of the Basilan island in southern Philippines from where the rebels said they had killed Sobero.

However the Associated Press reported that the Filipino armed forces Chief of Staff Diomedio Villanueva said it was not believed to be Sobero's body.

Although there were no U.S. teams on the ground and officials still held out the hope that the Abu Sayyaf claims were false, there were growing concerns that the ruthless guerrillas group did indeed carry out the beheadings.

A Chilling Call

Tensions have been high following a chilling call by Abu Sabaya, leader of the guerrilla group earlier today to a Filipino radio station.

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"We chopped the head of Guilermo Sobero," Sabaya told Radio Mindanao Network. "They better hurry the rescue, otherwise there will be no hostages left."

There was no confirmation from the military. "We have to verify this information and confirm, because you, know, in the past, Sabaya has said things like this and didn't mean it," said military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan.

The rebels have decapitated other Filipino hostages in the past, but this was the first time the rebels claimed to have killed a foreigner.

Sobero, a tourist from Corona, Calif., along with Martin and Gracia Burnham, two missionaries from Wichita, Kan., and 17 others from a posh resort on the Sulu Sea on May 27.

Playing Hardball

Last Thursday, the Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead the Americans in 72 hours, if Manila did not respond to its demands to appoint its choice of negotiators and call off the military manhunt for them.