Philippines

The Philippines said Aug. 25 it had eradicated a group of Muslim militants with links to the notorious Abu Sayyaf rebels after the arrest of its top leader suspected to be part of a 2006 plot to bomb Western embassies."We believe that his group is already obliterated," national police chief Jesus Verzosa said, referring to Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), a small group known for bomb attacks in the capital and in the southern island of Mindanao. RSM, with less than 50 members, has close links with the al Qaeda-affiliated Abu Sayyaf, the deadliest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines. (Reuters)