Philippine police arrest top Abu Sayyaf leader

By staff and wire reports

MANILA, Philippines -- Police in the Philippines say they have arrested a top leader of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group and three other members of the group following a raid late Sunday.

Nadzmie Sabtulah, known as 'Commander Global', was one of five Abu Sayyaf leaders based on the southern island of Jolo and is the highest-ranking member of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group arrested yet.

At this point there is no clear connection between Sabtulah and another Abu Sayyaf group on the nearby island of Basilan which currently holding about 20 hostages.

The Abu Sayyaf group believed responsible for that capture had worked very closely with the five leaders in Jolo, and police say they are working to clarify whether any connection existed.

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Sabtulah is perceived to be one of the two masterminds behind a kidnapping last year of Western tourists from a Malaysian diving resort off the coast of Boreo.

In that case the group successfully negotiated with the Philippine government for about $18 million in ransom.

Officials said Sunday's raid went ahead after police received a tip from civilian informants telling them of Sabtulah's location in General Santos City.

The government had offered a reward of 5 million pesos ($100,000) for information leading to Sabtulah's arrest.

Failed bid

Police said the other three people arrested had participated in a failed kidnapping attempt in April on a beach resort on the southern island of Mindanao.

The gang that raided the resort, in waters near General Santos, were driven back by gunfire from security staff.

A month later, on May 27, another Abu Sayyaf group abducted 20 people, including three American tourists, from a beach resort on the western island of Palawan.

The group, pursued by police and military, have since moved to Basilan Island -- the birth place and heartland of the Abu Sayyaf.

Thirteen hostages have either escaped or been released, another 19 have been taken captive, and four killed.

Island residents recently reported seeing two American captives, missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham, in Basilan's mountainous heartland, called Sampinit Complex.

Last month Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya claimed the group had beheaded a third American, Californian tourist Guillermo Sobero, but his body has not been found.

Monitoring groups

Thousands of troops have been hunting the Abu Sayyaf and their hostages for more than a month on Basilan, about 900 kilometers (560 miles) south of Manila.

Police have set up "monitoring groups" in southern cities and in Manila to watch for Abu Sayyaf members and leaders.

Police officials have also praised the public reward incentive and hoped that it may lead to locating and capturing more Abu Sayyaf members.

The Abu Sayyaf says it is fighting for an independent Muslim state but the Philippines government says the gunmen are nothing more than bandits specializing in kidnappings for ransom.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.