MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A Swiss hostage escaped Saturday from Abu Sayyaf extremists after hacking one militant commander and getting shot as he dashed to freedom, ending more than two years of jungle captivity in the restive southern Philippines, security officials said.
Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 49, made his daring escape after government forces fired artillery rounds in the jungle camp where he was being held near mountainous Patikul town in Sulu province. He hacked an Abu Sayyaf commander and ran away but was shot and wounded by other militants, security officials said.
Philippine army scout rangers later found him and brought him to safety.
“He was wounded but he’s well and recovering in a hospital,” regional military commander Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero told The Associated Press by telephone.
Vinciguerra was one of two European bird watchers seized by the militants in nearby Tawi Tawi province in February 2012. It was not immediately clear what happened to the other hostage, a Dutchman.