Diigo, May 5, 2004, The Philippine Star, At least 10 Sayyaf bombers being hunted,

Diigo, May 5, 2004, The Philippine Star, At least 10 Sayyaf bombers being hunted,

A senior military official confirmed yesterday that the terror group Abu Sayyaf has several operatives loose in Metro Manila. 

Lieutenant General Alberto Braganza, chief of the National Region Command and commander of anti-terrorist troops in Metro Manila, said the authorities feared up to 10 cells of militants remained unaccounted for in the city. 

All the suspects were believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf, which the US says has direct links to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, and arrests have already foiled major attacks, he said. 

"There's a continuing plan of the Abu Sayyaf to conduct bombings in Metro Manila, but we were able to nip it in the bud," Braganza told reporters. 

"Their arrest may lead to our primary targets. We're still tracking them down," he said. 

The security forces have detained 11 alleged militants in Manila since late March, when President Arroyo said her government had foiled a terrorist attack on the scale of the Madrid railway bombings. 

The last two suspects were arrested with explosives Sunday outside the office of the Commission on Elections in Manila. 

Philippine National Police spokesman Superintendent Joel Goltiao said 14,000 officers would be deployed to oversee security in Manila. He said they would be joined by around 3,000 troops who should be in place by Saturday. 

He said another 22,000 troops would be placed on standby. 

Arroyo, who is seeking a fresh six-year term on May 10, cancelled a planned campaign swing through the central and southern Philippines this week because of what her security aides described as a credible terrorist threat to her life. 

"I believe the life of the President is paramount and we have to exert all efforts to make sure that no untoward incident happens," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye told reporters Tuesday. 

"We cannot give any specifics. What we can say is that we’re taking all the necessary measures and we're not taking any threats lightly." 

Arroyo is a key ally of the US-led war on terror and has also contributed a small contingent of troops for the US occupation of Iraq. 

The predominantly Christian country has been wracked by a decades-old Muslim rebellion in the south. It has also witnessed sporadic bombings blamed on Islamic militants in recent years. – AFP, Jaime Laude