President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has received intelligence reports on three new terror groups in southern Philippines, and the expansion of their operation with their allies in nearby Malaysia and Indonesia.

But pacifists warned her, saying U.S. assistance in wiping out the Abu Sayyaf could turn Basilan and Jolo in Mindanao into a "little Afghanistan". The report identified the new terror groups as the National Council of Islamic Command, Pentagon, and the Islamic Movement for Electoral Reform and Good Government (IMERGE).

They were identified as third generation Filipino Muslim rebel groups. They are against the U.S.-led attacks against the Taliban government to flush out Osama bin Laden

The National Council of Islamic Command is a lost command of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which had forged a peace settlement with the Philippine government in 1996, with the help of the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

The Pentagon is a lost command of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had kidnapped five hostages from the Malmar irrigation programme in North Cotabato last August. One of them will be released soon.

Two were rescued earlier. Two others were killed. The main MILF is engaged in peace talks with the government since 1997. IMERGE recently declared jihad against the United States. It has started to recruit volunteers for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Abu Sayyaf has links with Saudi-born millionaire Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network. It has stepped up its kidnap for ransom activities in Basilan and Jolo. It is still holding two American and 15 Filipino hostages in the hinterland of Basilan.

Terrorists tied to the Al Qaeda network based in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia will be targets of future covert and overt U.S. actions, U.S. officials recently said, adding these groups have expanded exchange in money, personnel, materiel, and information with bin Laden's organisation and allies.

The campaign against them may last for years because they pose a threat to U.S. institution overseas, the officials added. The son of Malaysia's leading opposition leader, believed to have undergone training in Afghanistan, was recently charged of overthrowing the Malaysian government.

"More than two dozen non-combatant American experts, led by a general, would be arriving in the country within the next few weeks to give technical assistance and training in overt and covert operations to Filipino troops against the Abu Sayyaf rebels," said National Security Adviser Roilo Golez.

"They will provide assistance on the use of high tech war material and telecommunication equipment," said Southern Command Chief Lt. Gen, Roy Cimatu.

The American experts will bring helicopters, train Air Force personnel and eventually lend aircraft to the Air Force. The U.S. and the Philippines will share intelligence information on terrorists, said Golez.