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Philippine officials tightlipped over arrests

Philippine Marines have been deployed to secure the southern island of Jolo following attacks by Muslim guerillas

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- A Jordanian man and an Iraqi national have been placed in custody in the Philippines after two separate operations, though authorities have refused to divulge many details about the arrests.

The Jordanian man was arrested on Friday after a raid on his apartment in Manila yielded bomb materials, police said.

Police said agents seized detonating caps and blasting materials used in bombs, a handgun and a cellular phone from the apartment in the city's Paco district.

Police said the suspect, identified as Hussan Alden Hasam, had been under surveillance, and a warrant had been issued for the search of his apartment.

It was not known what charges, if any, had been filed against the man.

In another operation, an Iraqi national was arrested in the southern Philippine town of Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao province on Friday.

Explosives found

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Local media identified the Iraqi as Mohammad Sabai Selamah and reported that the military confiscated explosives, bomb components, as well as passport-making equipment.

The Philippine military confirmed the arrest to CNN but declined to give further details, saying only that the man was being transferred to Manila where he will be placed under the custody of the military's intelligence service.

The Jordanian suspect was in custody in Camp Crame, the national police headquarters, located in Quezon City, and he is being questioned there, police said.

Officials would not say whether the suspects were connected with the al Qaeda terrorist network which has been targeted by the U.S. in its anti-terror campaign.

Philippine authorities have been on high alert for attacks on the country since September 11.

The country's military has been engaged in an offensive in the southern Philippines against the Abu Sayyaf -- a group believed to have links to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Abu Sayyaf

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has given her full support to the U.S.-led war on terrorism and given permission for the United States to use the country's airspace and some military air bases.

The Abu Sayyaf is currently holding captive an American missionary couple it kidnapped in May this year.

Intelligence reports have revealed that bin Laden channeled millions of funds to Muslim militant groups in the Philippines to support their separatist campaigns in the area.

Apart from the Abu Sayyaf, Philippine troops have also launched an all-out war against the Moro National Liberation Front, once the largest secessionist groups in the south.

The fighting erupted after the rebel guerillas attacked a major military outpost in the southern island of Jolo in order to spoil upcoming regional elections.