A Swiss wildlife photographer captured by Islamist rebels in the Philippines over two years ago has escaped after killing his guard with a machete.
Members of the Abu Sayyaf group kidnapped Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 49, in the southern Philippines more than two years ago.
But Colonel Allan Arrojado, commander of the army's Joint Task Group on the island of Sulu, said he made a break for freedom during fighting between his captors and the Philippines military.
The Swiss man was wounded on his left cheek as he wrestled for the machete, finally getting hold of it and slashing the guard on the neck, Mr Arrojado said.
"He dashed while other bandits were shooting at him," he added.
Mr Vinciguerra was being held with Dutch national Elwold Horn, 52, and shouted at him to run but the Dutch man had been "very sick and very weak" and was unable to escape, Mr Arrojado said, adding there was no word on Mr Horn's whereabouts.
Speaking from a military hospital Mr Vinciguerra said he was happy that he would be able to spend Christmas with his family.
He added that he felt the extremists would treat Mr Horn well and urged the militants to surrender and start a new life.
"My final message to everybody: Put the gun down and come out from the forest," he told a reporter. "It's a nice life out here."
The military said five militants were killed and seven wounded in the firefight.
The two European wildlife photographers were captured in Tawi-Tawi province as they were sailing on a birdwatching trip in February 2012.
The Abu Sayyaf is holding several other foreign and Filipino hostages.
The military launched an offensive against the group in October after rebels released two German nationals they seized in April.
The Abu Sayyaf are the most notorious of several rebels factions in the Muslim south of the largely Christian Philippines.
