JOLO: A Swiss man kidnapped by Islamic militants in the southern Philippines nearly three years ago was rescued on Saturday during a gunbattle between soldiers and his abductors, the military said.

Lorenzo Vinciguerra ran away from the Abu Sayyaf militants during the clash on the remote island of Jolo, and was picked up by the soldiers, a local commander and the region's military spokeswoman told AFP.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2014