ZAMBOANGA CITY — Government troops rescued a British businessman and his Filipino wife following a clash against their captors, Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits, in the hinterlands of Sulu, a top military official said Monday.
Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said Allan Arthur Hyrons, 70, and his wife, Wilma, were rescued around 8 a.m. Monday in Mount Piahan, Parang, Sulu.
The couple was abducted on Oct. 4 by six gunmen from the family-owned resort in Barangay Alindahaw, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
Vinluan said the couple’s rescue came after a series of clashes since Friday that constricted the movement of the ASG bandits.
“The abductors were driven to designated constriction area through the collective efforts of operationally controlled units of 11th ID (Infantry Division) as the concurrent integrator of AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) operations in Sulu,” Vinluan said.
After the series of armed confrontation with the government forces, Vinluan said the ASG’s main group was forced to hide the Hyrons couple with a minimal number of guards to avoid detection.
“They were unaware that we are monitoring and have anticipated their actions,” Vinluan said.
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“Our troops were able to close in on the Abu Sayyaf Group and engaged them in a firefight. Overwhelmed by our forces they withdrew from the site, allowing our soldiers to rescue the couple. Our unrelenting efforts to flush out these terrorists allowed our troops to pinpoint the location of the enemy and finally free the kidnap victims,” Vinluan added. (PNA)
