Troops find Abu Sayyaf arms cache

Government soldiers tracking down the Abu Sayyaf on an island off Basilan province stumbled on a cache of weapons left behind by members of the militant group last Wednesday, a senior security official said in a belated report.

Troops discovered automatic rifles such as M1s and M16s, including ammunition hidden in bushes on Lanhil island, about 15 nautical miles south-east of Basilan's Tuburan town, said Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias, commander of the armed forces' Civil Relations Group.

"The Abu Sayyaf militants left these weapons so that they could escape easily," said Covarrubias. Police operatives in Zambo-anga southern port city, meanwhile, intensified a manhunt for Abu Sayyaf leader, Khadaffy Janjalani.

Intelligence reports said he has been hiding in one of the city's coastal villages after sneaking into Zamboanga from Basilan with a female hostage. Intelligence agents are helping local authorities locate the possible hiding places of Janjalani, said Police Intelligence Chief, Jose Bayani Gucela.

Janjalani, an expert in home-made bombs, could have had a hand in the Puericulture blast in Zamboanga City last week, Gucela added. Mindanao military chief, Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, reiterated his call to the Abu Sayyaf militants to free all the hostages and surrender peacefully.

"They have no more places to hide in Basilan. They are constantly moving from one hide-out to another to avoid military detection," he noted. Soldiers have killed more than 50 rebels since last month.