The Philippine military on Sunday described the supposed links of the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) with the Islamic State (IS), a group of jihadist in Syria and Iraq, as "unverified."

Domingo Tutaan, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, asked the media to be circumspect in reporting the alleged linkages, saying this may cause undue alarm to the people.

During the past weeks, clips have been posted on the video sharing site YouTube, showing members of the Abu Sayyaf and BIFF pledging support to the IS, formerly known as ISIS.

A wire report quoted BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama as confirming that the BIFF indeed has alliance with the IS. The BIFF is composed of former leaders and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

"It can be claimed by anybody who wants to take (advantage) so they can become more notorious, so that they will be feared more since they have links (with IS)," said Tutaan.

"We should be careful in sending the message to the public, especially those who have no way of finding out, those who rely on newspapers only," he added. Endi

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