Faizal Jaafar was arrested by police and naval intelligence forces in the Cawit district of Zamboanga City around 12.30 a.m. local time (1600GMT Thursday), Supt. Rogelio Alabata said.

Jaafar is believed to have been involved in the April 2000 abduction of 10 Europeans, nine Malaysians and two Filipinos from the Sipadan dive resort. The kidnappers demanded the release of prisoners, including 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, a ransom and the withdrawal of forces from Jolo island in the southern Philippines.

All the hostages were later freed.

Since 1991, Abu Sayyaf, which is now aligned with ISIL, has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion in a bid for an independent province in the Philippines.

Alabata said Jaafar was arrested for “kidnapping and serious illegal detention in relation to the Sipadan kidnapping incident and murder”.