A government militia stands guard outside a school in Isabela City in Basilan island. Security forces captured a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant on Saturday, 01 April 2006, in Isabela City. (Zamboanga Journal) BASILAN ISLAND (Zamboanga Journal / 01 Apr) Police and military forces on Saturday captured a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network, in the southern Philippine island of Basilan, officials said.
Officials said Kahal Asmad, alias Abu Asmad, was nabbed near a market place in Isabela City by police and military agents.
"He was arrested alright, and Kahal Asmad is included in the military's order of battle. He is facing a string of kidnapping charges," said Inspector Romeo Tiera, of the local police force.
He said Asmad is a henchman of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as Commander Robot, who was killed in a police assault last year at prison facility held hostage by inmates in Taguig City.
It was unknown if security forces seized weapons from Asmad, or whether he was planning an attack, but police said he did not resist arrest when captured around 8.30 a.m.
Officials said Kahal Asmad, alias Abu Asmad, was nabbed near a market place in Isabela City by police and military agents.
"He was arrested alright, and Kahal Asmad is included in the military's order of battle. He is facing a string of kidnapping charges," said Inspector Romeo Tiera, of the local police force.
He said Asmad is a henchman of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as Commander Robot, who was killed in a police assault last year at prison facility held hostage by inmates in Taguig City.
It was unknown if security forces seized weapons from Asmad, or whether he was planning an attack, but police said he did not resist arrest when captured around 8.30 a.m.
Police said Asmad's family disputed the charges and insisted the man was innocent.
Authorities have tightened security in the southern Philippines after the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in northern Mindanao uncovered a supposed plot Friday by the Abu Sayyaf group to hijack passenger ships.
"We ordered a tightened security in all passenger ships in northern Mindanao. We have contingency measures and are ready to address any situation. We cannot rule out the possibility of a terror attack after the recent bombing in Jolo,” said Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, commander of the regional police force.
He did not say how the plot was discovered, but a report by the NICA claimed the Abu Sayyaf was also planning to hostage the passengers.
The report identified the leader of an 11-man Abu Sayyaf team that would carry out the hijacking as Abu Awillah, and that among the targeted were Super Ferry vessels sailing from Manila to Mindanao.
Police have intensified intelligence operation to track down members of the terrorist group in the region, said Baguio.
Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group in the February 2004 bombing of the Super Ferry 14, which killed more than 100 people in the worst maritime terrorist attack in the Philippines.
The 10,192-ton ship was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew, when a television set filled with TNT exploded. The Abu Sayyaf owned up the bombing.
Since the bombing of the Super Ferry 14, authorities have deployed secret marshals in passenger ships.
The group was also believed behind Tuesday bombing of a two-storey convenience store building in Jolo island that left 7 people wounded.
It also warned of impending attacks in Zamboanga City and Basilan island in the southern Philippines, where security forces are pursuing Abu Sayyaf members, blamed for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings of foreigners in the region.
The Abu Sayyaf is included in the US terror lists and Washington offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of its leader Khadaffy Janjalani and his lieutenants, tagged as behind the killing of two kidnapped US citizens in 2001 and 2002 in Mindanao.
Authorities have tightened security in the southern Philippines after the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in northern Mindanao uncovered a supposed plot Friday by the Abu Sayyaf group to hijack passenger ships.
"We ordered a tightened security in all passenger ships in northern Mindanao. We have contingency measures and are ready to address any situation. We cannot rule out the possibility of a terror attack after the recent bombing in Jolo,” said Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, commander of the regional police force.
He did not say how the plot was discovered, but a report by the NICA claimed the Abu Sayyaf was also planning to hostage the passengers.
The report identified the leader of an 11-man Abu Sayyaf team that would carry out the hijacking as Abu Awillah, and that among the targeted were Super Ferry vessels sailing from Manila to Mindanao.
Police have intensified intelligence operation to track down members of the terrorist group in the region, said Baguio.
Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group in the February 2004 bombing of the Super Ferry 14, which killed more than 100 people in the worst maritime terrorist attack in the Philippines.
The 10,192-ton ship was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew, when a television set filled with TNT exploded. The Abu Sayyaf owned up the bombing.
Since the bombing of the Super Ferry 14, authorities have deployed secret marshals in passenger ships.
The group was also believed behind Tuesday bombing of a two-storey convenience store building in Jolo island that left 7 people wounded.
It also warned of impending attacks in Zamboanga City and Basilan island in the southern Philippines, where security forces are pursuing Abu Sayyaf members, blamed for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings of foreigners in the region.
The Abu Sayyaf is included in the US terror lists and Washington offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of its leader Khadaffy Janjalani and his lieutenants, tagged as behind the killing of two kidnapped US citizens in 2001 and 2002 in Mindanao.
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