A Swiss man kidnapped nearly three years ago in Mindanao by the notorious group Abu Sayyaf was rescued on Saturday as soldiers attacked his abductors in a remote jungle, killing at least five of his abductors.
Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 49, ran away from the Abu Sayyaf gunmen during the clash on the southern island of Jolo, and was picked up by the troops, military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla said.
“He found an opportunity to escape because of the running gunbattle with our troops,” Padilla said quoting a report from the Joint Task Force Zambasulta.
Vinciguera said he escaped from his abductors headed by an ASG sub-leader whom the military named as Juhurim Hussien, according to Padilla.
The Swiss suffered a bullet wound as the ASG fired at him during his escape, the military said.
However a Dutch man who was abducted with Vinciguerra, Ewold Horn, had been unable to run away and was believed to still be held captive, according to local military commander Colonel Alan Arrojado.
Arrojado said his troops, acting on a tip, had tracked the Abu Sayyaf gunmen in thick jungle near Patikul, a town on Jolo that is a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.
“It was in the jungle, in the darkness. I sent a message to the Scout Rangers that they should not shoot randomly. Sure enough, we encountered them,” Arrojado told AFP.
Arrojado said Vinciguerra told the military later that Horn had been unable to run due to a back injury.
He said his troops were still combing the area, a lawless region nearly 1,000 kilometres in hopes of finding the group holding Horn.
Vinciguerra and Horn were on an expedition to photograph rare birds on the remote Tawi-Tawi island group in the southern Philippines when they were abducted by unknown gunmen and turned over to the Abu Sayyaf.
At the time of their abductions, Vinciguerra was reported to be aged 47, and Horn was 52.
The Abu Sayyaf, a loose band of a few hundred militants founded with seed money from Al Qaeda, has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. (Details c/o MST)
