Washington: US President George W Bush has hailed the arrest of top al-Qaida leader Hambali, describing him as "one of the world's most lethal terrorists".

"In the last few days, we captured a major terrorist named Hambali. Hambali was one of the world's most lethal terrorists who is suspected of planning major terrorist operations, including that which occurred in Bali and other recent attacks," Bush said in a speech to US servicemen, who served in the Iraq war, in California.

The 36 year-old Islamic scholar Riduan bin Ismouddin, popularly known as Hambali, is chief of the Jemaah Islamiyah outfit, and is wanted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in connection with a series of bomb attacks.

Hambali is a top ally of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Asia.

"He is no longer a problem to those of us who love freedom. And neither are nearly two thirds of known senior al-Qaida leaders, operational managers and key facilitators who have been captured or killed," he said.

"Our nation," said Bush, "is waging a broad and unrelenting campaign against the global terror network and winning. Wherever al-Qaida terrorists try to hide, from the caves and mountains of Central Asia to the islands of the Philippines and to the cities of Pakistan, we are finding them and bringing them to justice."

Earlier, giving details about the capture of Hambali in Asia, Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "He is now in the custody of the US government."

PTI