Philippines rescues abducted British man and wife held by jihadists

Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Wilma were taken by gunmen last month from a resort they own and run in the southern Philippines

They were rescued unhurt on Monday after a 10-minute firefight with Islamic State-allied militants, the military said

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Allan Hyrons, centre, and his wife Wilma, left, speak with Philippine Major General Corleto Vinluan. Photo: AP

Published: 12:02pm, 25 Nov 2019Updated: 2:52pm, 27 Nov 2019

Philippine troops on Monday rescued a British man and his Filipino wife who were abducted by gunmen at a southern beach resort last month and taken to the jungle hideouts of Islamic State-allied local militants.

Regional military commander Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said troops caught up with the Abu Sayyaf militant captors of Allan Hyrons and his wife, Wilma, in the mountainous hinterlands off Parang town in Sulu province and rescued the couple safely after a brief gun battle.

“There was a running gun battle. They left the two behind because they could not drag them any more. They scampered in different directions but our troops are in pursuit,” Sobejana said.

The Hyrons were not hurt in the 10-minute firefight, the military said, adding that no ransom was paid to the Abu Sayyaf militants.

A picture released by the military showed the couple smiling in a military camp and talking with generals and other army officers in Sulu. Sobejana said the couple will undergo a medical check-up and will be interviewed by military officials.

Allan Hyrons and his wife Wilma inside a military camp at Jolo, Sulu province. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

Gunmen abducted the couple last month as some villagers watched in shock from their beach resort in southern Zamboanga Del Sur province, sparking a massive search. The couple also owned a college in Zamboanga Del Sur’s Tukuran town, where they have lived for years.