Troops on alert after top terrorist's arrest

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - Military forces are on alert for a possible sympathy attack of the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan following the arrest of its leader Khair Mundos in Manila, according to military officials.

Mundos, a Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader trained by the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the alleged link by the Al-Qaeda group to channel fund to the local terror group, was arrested in Parañaque City Wednesday by the police intelligence operatives.

Mundos, who is known to  train Abu Sayyaf recruits of bomb-making,  was captured in May 2004 in Sarangani but escaped in 2007 after he was rescued by his followers from the detention cell.

The US State Department has placed $500,000 bounty reward for the arrest and neutralization of Mundos as the attacks of the Abu Sayyaf group, under his leadership, left a number of US citizens and Filipinos killed.

“We are anticipating a possible sympathy attack and we are always on alert,” said Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez, commander of the Basilan based 104th Army Brigade.

Galvez said checkpoints in all possible entry points were  beefed up while pursuit operation continue against the Abu Sayyaf, described to be a small but most militant group blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings in the south.

“There is a continuous pursuit operation against the group to keep them on the run and prevent them from staging any of their terror plot,” Galvez added.

Capt. Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the arrest of Mundos is a big blow to the operation of the Abu Sayyaf group. Mundos is known as a finance officer of the group.