¡¡MANILA, Dec. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- One of the top leaders of the notorious Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group was captured in the southern Philippines on Sunday, the military said.

    Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf faction in the southern Jolo island, was captured in Indanan town in the island at around 7:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) Sunday, Armed Forces Public Information Office chief Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero said.

    Details of Andang's fall are yet to be released.

    Andang and his aide Mujib Susukan were held responsible for kidnapping 21 mostly European tourists from the Sipadan resort island in Malaysia and taking them to Jolo in April 2000. All the hostages were rescued or freed allegedly after huge ransom was paid.

    The Abu Sayyaf was branded by both Washington and Manila as a terrorist group with links to Osama bin laden's al-Qaeda network after the terror attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The United States dispatched some 1,000 troops to the southern Philippines last year to help the local military neutralize the group. Enditem