Philippines checking if headless body is that of Canadian

This image made from undated militant video, shows Canadians John Ridsdel, right, and Robert Hall. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that the decapitated head of a Caucasian male recovered Monday, April 25, 2016, in the southern Philippines belongs to Ridsdel, who was taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants in September 2015. (Militant Video via AP Video) NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine forensic experts are checking if a headless Caucasian man's body found by villagers in a southern province is that of a Canadian hostage beheaded by Muslim extremists.

Military officials said Wednesday the body was found beside a dry creek in a mountain near Talipao town in Sulu province, where Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded John Ridsdel after failing to get a huge ransom. Police later recovered Ridsdel's head in Sulu's Jolo town.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the brutal killing of Ridsdel, who was kidnapped with a fellow Canadian, a Norwegian and a Filipino woman from a marina on southern Samal island in September.

Thousands of troops are scouring Sulu's vast jungle for the militants, who are holding about 22 other foreign hostages.