ZAMBOANGA CITY—Troops from the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) have cordoned off the area where kidnappers are believed to be holding the Irish priest they kidnapped in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, a military official disclosed on Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mohammad Dolorfino, Wesmincom chief, said the cordon was established to contain the kidnappers’ movement to prevent the transfer of the hostage to another place.

Fr. Michael Sinnott, 79, a member of the Mission Society of Saint Columban (MSSC), was seized by six gunmen on October 11 from the MSSC compound in barangay Gatas, Pagadian City.

The kidnappers are asking a ransom of $2 million.

Dolorfino revealed that military authorities already know the identities of the kidnappers but refused to reveal who they are, including their whereabouts, so as not to jeopardize the “containment effort.”

On Tuesday Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno disclosed that a group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels are involved in the kidnapping of Sinnott.

Puno identified the leader of Sinnott’s kidnappers as Aloy Al Asree, commander of the MILF’s 113rd Base Command, that operates in the Western Mindanao area as well as the Lanao provinces.

Puno said kidnapping charges are being prepared against Sinnott’s kidnappers.

Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF’s committee on information, said Puno should refrain from making statements that will jeopardize the safety of Sinnott.

Musa, in a statement posted on Wednesday on the MILF web site, described Puno’s statement as an attempt to sabotage the MILF’s efforts to help rescue the priest and put into bad light the very reputation of the very unit tasked by the MILF central leadership to undertake the rescue mission.

Musa said he suspects Puno has other motives, like sabotaging the peace process.