Allan Hyrons and his Filipina wife Wilma were saved by Filipino troops on the island of Jolo after a terrifying shoot-out with Islamic State gunmen, the Mail Online reports. Lieutenant general Cirilito Sobejana said: “There was a brief exchange of fire, but they later abandoned the couple after being overwhelmed by pursuing government forces.” Husband-and-wife were miraculously unharmed in the violence, which lasted for 10 minutes.
It was also reported no ransom was paid to the Abu Sayyaf militants that had ambushed them and kept them prisoners.
Their rescue was confirmed this morning by the British Embassy in Manilla.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the couple were “safe and well”.
He added: “We worked closely with the Government of the Philippines on Alan and Wilma’s case over the last two months.
“I am very grateful for their tremendous efforts. We are in particular grateful to their Armed Forces for their courage throughout a difficult operation which resulted in Alan and Wilma’s release.”
The couple were photographed today eating at a military camp on Sulu island, with Mr Hyrons appearing unshaven following the horror ordeal.
They will now undergo a medical check-up.
The pair were abducted on October 4, with locals watching in shock as they were dragged to two motorboats in the town of Tukuran.
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Retired admiral James Stavridis has warned “the Islamic State is coming back” and fears the terror organisation will launch attacks on Christmas Markets over the festive period.
He told America’s TV news programme Today he is “very concerned” ISIS will increase attacks on the West following the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The leader of the terrorist organisation killed himself by deploying his suicide vest as US Special forces raided his hideaway in Idlib, northwest Syria.
Mr Stavridis said he expects Christmas markets “to be a rich target of revenge” for his death.
The former US Navy Supreme Allied Commander at NATO said: “ISIS is not a single individual, unfortunately.
“If it were, this would be over. It’s not. Just like winter is coming, the Islamic state is coming back.”
He added: “Unfortunately, I would predict just as we accelerated an operation that was in the pipeline to take Baghdadi, they will accelerate operations they have in the pipeline, particularly targeting Europe, I would guess.”
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that US forces had hit the hiding place of the ISIS leader.
Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump revealed al-Baghdadi died “whimpering and screaming”.
The ISIS leader was chased by dogs after US forces entered his Syrian compound and al-Baghdadi detonated his vest after running into a dead-end tunnel.
Eleven children were injured in the blast.
The Republican also said many of al-Baghdadi’s people were killed but the exact number is not yet known. President Trump said he died in a “vicious and violent way” and “crying”.