The Abu Sayyaf beheaded five more captives, following five who were earlier decapitated from among 34 victims captured in Balobo, a Christian village near Lamitan town in Basilan, southern Philippines on August 2.

Four decapitated bodies were recovered separately yesterday morning and on Friday night in the remote Bulingan village, near Lamitan, said Lamitan Mayor Inocente Ramos.

This brings to 10 the total number of captives recently beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf. But the number could go higher, following reports that two other bodies were found yesterday.

The military and the police could not recover the bodies because of the presence of armed groups.

Earlier, five bodies with severed heads were found on Friday, a day after the Abu Sayyaf attacked Balobo. Four of the captives escaped on August 2, leaving some 21 other hostages in the custody of Jolo-based Ghalib Andang, believed to be the leader of the Balobo attack.

The military has begun cutting the food supply of the Abu Sayyaf as troops closed in on the rebel's hinterlands in Basilan.

"Their food supply has been cut off and it is just a matter of time before we rescue the hostages and neutralise the Abu Sayyaf," said Armed Forces Spokesman Brig Gen Edilberto Adan.

"The rebels are having a hard time getting food and their support structure is now degraded," Adan added. "This raid is a mere tactical set-back on the part of the military," he said. The Abu Sayyaf is holding a total of 42 hostages.