MANILA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Giancarlo Bossi, the Italian Catholic priest abducted in the southern Philippines, is being held by a group that includes relatives of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, a Philippine military official said on Wednesday.

    "There are 15 men holding Bossi", Marine Major General Ben Mohammad Dolorfino, the head of the government panel in the ad hocjoint action group with the MILF told reporters in a press briefing.

    "Some of his captors have relatives with the MILF," he said.

    Government and MILF representatives in the joint action group are coordinating to pressure the abductors to release Bossi, Dolorfino said, adding that military operations to find Bossi will continue.

    Bossi, 57, was abducted on Sunday in Payao town, Zamboanga Sibugay province in Mindanao island. He reportedly remained safe so far as a hostage. No group has claimed responsibilities to the incident.

    The Italian was the second foreigner to be abducted by Mindanao's lawless groups within 10 days. On May 31, a German national was taken hostage by gangs but released shortly after the MILF's intervention.

    The government-MILF joint action group helps keep the ceasefire between government forces and the 11,000-strong separatist group MILF in Mindanao. The MILF is willing to resume peace talks with the government, which was suspended one and a half years ago.