British man and wife saved in daring swoop from Isis militants
A British man and his wife have been rescued during a dramatic gun battle in the Philippines a month after they were abducted by Islamic State-affiliated militants.
Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Welma Paglinawan-Hyrons, were dragged across a beach resort in southern Zamboanga del Norte province in October.
Witnesses said they were taken from a hut to a waiting motorboat in the middle of the night by gunmen from Abu Sayyaf, a group allied to Isis.
On Monday, regional military commander lieutenant general Cirilito Sobejana said his troops rescued the couple after a brief gun battle with militants.
Mr and Mrs Hyrons were safely rescued in the southern province of Sulu, he said.
The military released pictures of the couple talking to soldiers in Sulu after their rescue.
They will undergo a medical check-up and be interviewed by military officials before they are released, Mr Sobejana said.
Mr and Mrs Hyrons’ abduction sparked a massive search in Zamboanga del Norte, which is located approximately 1,500 kilometres south of Manila.
The Islamist Abu Sayyaf group has often been behind kidnapping foreigners for ransom and has carried out suicide bombings in the region.
A sustained campaign against such groups by security forces has reduced the problem in recent years, but incidents continue to occur.
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