Philippine authorities captured Abu Sayyaf on Wednesday (Twitpic)

On Wednesday, during a raid on a slum near the capital’s international airport, Philippine security officials arrested Khair Mundos, a top Filipino commander of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group. Authorities claim that Mundos has received money from al Qaeda to fund bomb attacks and been involved with a number of kidnappings and beheadings.

“Mundos confessed to having arranged the transfer of funds from al-Qaeda to Abu Sayyaf group leader Khadaffy Janjalani to be used in bombings and other criminal acts throughout the [Philippine] island of Mindanao,” according to a statement released by the U.S. State Department.

In 2009 the U.S. State Department announced its offer of $500,000 for the killing or capture of Mundos.

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