Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda and the modern inspirational leader of terrorists around the world may have been killed, but his followers in the country whom he had supported through the Asean terror group Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) have increased in number, intelligence and security reports said.

Based on intelligence papers from the Marines and intelligence units from the National Police and the Armed Forces, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which is linked with the Indonesian-based JI, now have two more cells.

“The ASG continues to adopt a cell-type of organization. For the period, two cell groups have been identified, namely, the groups of Nurhassan Jamiri in Basilan and Sulaiman Patta in Sulu. This brings to 18 the number of ASG cell groups,” one of the reports said.

The reports said of the 18 local terrorist cells, the most active groups are those that are being headed by one-legged senior leader Radullan Sahiron and Gumbahali Jumdail, alias Dr. Abu, and the cell that used to be headed by Albader Parad, which are based in Indanan, Talipao and Patikul, respectively, all in Sulu; and the subgroups of Jamiri and Furuji Indama, which are based in Albarka and Tuburan, both in Basilan.

Parad, who had earlier been on the list of foreign terrorists of the US, led the kidnapping of three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2009 in Sulu. He was killed in a clash with security forces on February 21, 2010, along with six of his men at barangay Karawan, Maimbung.

In previous skirmishes with government forces that were trying to rescue their three ICRC captives, Parad and his men, who were joined by Jumdail and his followers, were seen in the company of JI members who are foreigners.

All of the ASG groups, the reports said, are receiving support by way of forces augmentation and sanctuary from some members of two main Muslim groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MNLF had already entered into a peace agreement with the government, although some of its members and units are still armed, while the MILF is still engaged in peace talks with the government.

Both groups have been denying their association or even support to local terrorists, although the government maintains the Special Operations Group of the MILF is the latter’s terrorism unit and its head, Bassit Usman, is a bomb expert.

The same intelligence reports placed the strength of the ASG to 400 men from 383 last year, which represented an increase of 17 or 4.4 percent. Its firearms were also put at 349 from 298 last year, or an increase of 17 percent.

“The increase was attributed to the inclusion of firearms accounted from the groups of Jamiri, Patta and Jumdail in Sulu,” one of the reports said.

The terrorists exist, principally on funds that were generated from their kidnapping activities, having amassed a total of more than P20 million from 18 kidnappings alone last year.

“The ASG continues to use family members, relatives, auxiliary forces, and other groups in obtaining bullets, food and other supplies.”

“It continue to sustain its consolidation of forces, recruitment and training activities in Sulu, Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay where recruits were promised P20,000 and issued M-16 rifles,” the reports also said.

The same reports said the local terrorist group and some members of the MILF and the MNLF have been using each other to conduct terrorism and hostile operations against government.

“This was manifested by the ASG’s utilizing particularly the MILF rebels in their spate of kidnapping activities in Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga City and in the province of Tawi-Tawi.”

“The ASG and its partners also have mapped up plans to conduct simultaneous terror acts, including attacks on government troops, and bombing and kidnapping activities in Sulu and other selected targets in Mindanao,” it said.

According to the intelligence reports, the local terrorists are scattered in four provinces in the south.

Middle East-trained Yasser Igasan, who had declined the emirship of the ASG, is very much active, and he and his 34 followers were last monitored being harbored in Talipao, Sulu, by the group of MNLF Commander Eddong Untih alias Ustadz Palayan.

Sahirun and his 40 fully armed followers have established temporary camps in the vicinity of Tubig Magtuh near Mount Mungit in barangay Pansul, Patikul, Sulu.

Sahirun’s group established  seven observation posts within and near the town and each post is maintained by two men.

The reports said the ASG has five cells that are operating in Zamboanga City with a total strength of 45 members. Out of the city’s 98 barangays, 19 or 19 percent are infiltrated by the group.

As for the JI, the same reports said it has a total of 54 members in Mindanao—locals and 30 foreigners.

The Asean terror group and its operations were set up and spearheaded by Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Indonesians Omar Patek and Dulmatin.

Bin Hir, the head of the JI in the Philippines, traveled and stayed in the country to train and recruit JI members and put up camps, which are all located within the lairs of the ASG.

Patek, who had also been in the country along with Dulmatin, was arrested on March 29 this year in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the same city where US commandos killed bin Laden.

Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, former Marine commandant and now chief of the  Armed Forces’ Western Command, said Patek, who was also involved in the Bali bombings, was the finance officer and the link of JI to bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Sabban, who had led the military’s counter terrorism unit in Mindanao and hunted JI and ASG members for years, said Patek was rarely monitored in Mindanao after the death of Parad.

Of late, another JI figure, Mauwiyah, a Singaporean, was also spotted in the company of ASG members in Sulu.

Assessment reports accompanying the intelligence reports said the ASG, with lawless Moro groups providing forces and sanctuaries, will conduct independent and small-scale operations.