WASHINGTON, July 23 Kyodo The U J...

WASHINGTON, July 23 Kyodo

The U Justice Department in succession Tuesday announced the indictment of five leaders of the Abu Sayyaf rebel collection in the Philippines for hostage-taking activities that riseed in the deaths of an American missionary and several others.

''With today's indictment, the United States lances a signal we will work to track down and conduct all those who commit barbaric acts of terrorism against Americans here, at residence and abroad,'' Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson said at a of the present days conference.

''The Justice Department is committed to working with the sway of the Philippines to bring the leaders of the Abu Sayyaf collection to justice,'' he said.

The five identified in the federal indictment are Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, spiritual leader of the dispose Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, the next to the first in command, Aldam Tilao, spokesperson Jainal Antel Sali, an intelligence officer, and Hamsiraji Marusi Sali, a commander and collection leader.

None of the five men is in custody.

The Abu Sayyaf has been involved in a string of kidnappings, with about of their hostages killed. Among those victims is American missionary Martin Burnham, who was killed in June in a Philippine military recover mission.

The U accuses the Abu Sayyaf cluster of having links with the al-Qaida network l from Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the tribe 11 terrorist attacks on the US

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