Asia-Pacific News

Police arrest suspected Muslim militant in Philippine capital

May 6, 2011, 5:38 GMT

Manila - A suspected Muslim militant was arrested in the Philippine capital amid a heightened alert for retaliatory attacks following Osama bin Laden's death, the police said Friday.

Arabani Jakiran was taken into custody Thursday by police and soldiers in a commercial district in Taguig City in suburban Manila, police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo said.

Jakiran, 39, is reportedly a known member of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group and has pending arrest warrants for several kidnapping and bombing cases in the southern Philippines.

Bacalzo said Jakiran's arrest indicated the readiness of government security forces to deal with possible retaliatory or sympathy attacks due to bin Laden's killing in Pakistan earlier in the week.

Hundreds of Muslims gathered Friday in a mosque in central Manila to denounce the manner in which bin Laden's body was buried at sea after he was killed by elite US troops.

Although Philippine security officials said there was no imminent terror threat in the capital, law enforcement agencies have tightened security in airports, overhead trains and other public places.