Abu Sayyaf chief reportedly killed

Philippine commandos yesterday shot and probably killed one of the country's most notorious Islamist gang leaders, who claimed responsibility for dozens of kidnappings and murders in the past few years, the country's president, Gloria Arroyo, said.

A jubilant Ms Arroyo claimed that the likely death of the Abu Sayyaf leader, Aldam Tilao, 40, known as Abu Sabaya, had virtually nullified the threat posed by the 75-strong group, which the US has linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

She said a commando unit intercepted a boat carrying seven suspected Abu Sayyaf members at 4.30am, less than a mile off the coast of Sibuco, in Zamboanga del Norte province, on Mindanao island, in the southern Philippines.

"Three Abu Sayyaf members were wounded and jumped off their boat, while four others were captured," she said. "The captured members confirmed that one of those who jumped into the sea was Abu Sabaya."

A naval commander, Marine Colonel Juancho Saban, said later in the day that the bodies of the Abu Sayyaf leader and his two colleagues had been fished out of the sea, but this could not be confirmed.

Abu Sabaya most recently rose to prominence when he staged a daring raid on a luxury resort on the island of Palawan in May last year and seized 20 hostages, including three Americans, and spirited them hundreds of miles to his base on the southern island of Basilan.

He beheaded one of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero, last September, but the other two, the missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, were held for more than a year, along with a local nurse, Ediborah Yap, who was kidnapped late last year. At least 15 other Filipino hostages were executed at various times during the operation.

Mr Burnham and Ms Yap were killed during a rescue attempt on June 7, while Ms Burnham was saved despite being shot twice.

Manila sent more than 7,000 troops to the region and they were joined by 1,600 American troops for a six-month "training exercise" at the end of January.

The group claims to be fighting for an independent Muslim homeland in the southern islands, but has done little besides explode bombs and kidnap people for ransom.