Government troops in pursuit of fleeing Abu Sayyaf members captured yesterday morning Abu Sayyaf leader Bashir Ordonez, in a jungle area in Zamboanga del Norte, where U.S. missionary Gracia Burnham and Filipino worker Edwon Resironi were rescued on Friday.

Ordonez was captured at 6am, hours before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived in Zamboanga City to visit soldiers who were wounded in the recent clash with the Abu Sayyaf Group.