COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief Murad Ebrahim on Saturday directed the rebel group's forces in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte to arrest the kidnappers of Irish missionary priest Michael Sinnott and rescue him.

Ebrahim also created a special task force task to rescue the priest from his captors, who were believed to be hiding in the mountains near the boundaries of Sultan Naga Dimaporo and Salvador towns in Lanao del Norte and Sultan Gumander in Lanao del Sur.

“As a matter of policy, the MILF is obliged to exert its best efforts to help for the safe and immediate recovery of Father Sinnot,” Murad said.

“His kidnapping requires all conscience-guided people and those with true faith in God to extend every help for his immediate freedom,” he said.

Murad said the Sinnott rescue bid was being supported by the MILF central committee, which has also established a non-permanent command post in the boundaries of the three towns.

The MILF had said earlier it has found out who the kidnappers but was not announcing their identities pending a revalidation of the information gathered by a team it had set up to investigate the kidnapping.

Government officials said they believed the kidnappers were rogue members of the MILF but the MILF denied its guerrillas were involved and formed the probe team.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said they were still trying to revalidate the identity of the group that snatched the 79-year-old priest.