MANILA - An Indonesian military official sought the help of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari in a bid to rescue 14 Indonesian nationals abducted in Mindanao, a top MNLF official claimed Friday.

The hostages were on board a tugboat when they were kidnapped by alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in two separate incidents on April 15 and last March.

Habib Mudjahab Hashim, chairman of the MNLF Islamic Command Council, said the foreign military official personally met with Misuari in the latter's hideout in Sulu to ask for his help.

Hashim said the meeting occurred four or five days ago, and was facilitated by local officials of Sulu.

He said Misuari responded positively to the request of the military official.

Hashim added that Misuari might be able to persuade the ASG to release some of their hostages, out of respect for him.

He pointed out that Alhabsy Misaya, an ASG leader tagged in the kidnapping, was a former MNLF commander.

Misaya is also allegedly responsible in a series of kidnappings and beheading of some of the foreign captives.

READ: Timeline of the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines

Hashim also said that Misuari has high respect for Indonesia, which hosted the 1996 peace agreement between the MNLF and Philippine government in Jakarta.

The MNLF official said, the Indonesian government still recognizes Misuari's leadership, even after the latter led hundreds of rebels who laid siege to Zamboanga City in 2013.

A local court has issued an arrest warrant against Misuari and his followers who joined the coordinated attacks that lasted for almost a month and left hundreds dead.

Misuari has been hiding in one of the camps of MNLF in Sulu since then, and even conducted a number of assemblies with his followers.