Police have set up round-the-clock checkpoints around Zamboanga City following the killing of an Abu Sayyaf Group leader in Sulu province over the weekend.

Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, acting city police director, said the checkpoints will be random to and all parts of the city will be covered by the heightened security set up.

The Philippine National Police on Sunday placed all its units in Mindanao on full alert in anticipation of retaliation by the bandit group.

Abu Sayyaf leader Abdul Gafur Jumdail and his two followers were killed by policemen in an encounter in Sulu past midnight Sunday.

Police said Jumdail, son of ranking Abu Sayyaf leader Gumbahali Jumdail alias "Dr. Abu," and his two companions were allegedly planning to stage a kidnapping when the encounter happened.

De Ocampo said the police would need the public's cooperation to prevent the bandits from carrying out attacks in the city.

He also asked for patience from the public as traffic in the city may be affected by the random police checkpoints.

The city police chief added that desk officers will also be deployed to the streets at noon everyday, to augment the forces securing the city's central district and vital installations.

De Ocampo assured preparations for the forthcoming Zamboanga Hermosa Festival in October will not be affected by the supposed threats to the city's security.

"This is why we are also intensifying security, we want our preparations for the festivities to go on smoothly," De Ocampo said.