NINE 'potential' female suicide bombers with alleged links to to top terrorist leaders have been arrested by state forces in Sulu, the military announced on Tuesday.

Three of the nine were identified as Isara Jalmaani Abduhajan, 36; Jedah Abduhajan Amin, 28; and Elena Tasum Sawadjaan-Abun, 40, daughters of the late Abu Sayyaf leader Hajan Sawadjaan, also known as the 'emir' of the Islamic State for Southeast Asia.