Manila, June 22: The head of the Philippines' main Muslim separatist group today denied for the first time links with regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah and said he was committed to "overcome all obstacles" in stalled peace talks with Manila. Salamat Hashim, head of the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said terrorism was an "anathema to the teachings of Islam".
"To stress seriously this point, I hereby reiterate our condemnation and abhorrence of terrorist tendencies...," Hashim said in a statement.
"Consequently, we reject and deny any link with terrorist organisations or activities in this part of the Asian region, particularly in south Philippines, and elsewhere in the world."
President Gloria Arroyo has accused the MILF of harbouring terrorists responsible for a spate of bombings and attacks that have left about 100 dead in the southern Philippines since March.
On Thursday she ruled out immediate peace talks with the MILF, saying they must first cut their ties to "terrorist" groups.
While lower-ranking MILF rebels have already denied any terror links, Arroyo had asked the MILF chief to categorically renounce terrorism and surrender those accused of bombings in the south for stalled peace talks to resume.
Intelligence agencies in the region have linked the MILF with the Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist organisation blamed for the Bali bombing that killed over 200 people last year. Bureau Report