Italian freed

Eugenio Vagni, an Italian humanitarian aid worker for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was found unharmed after spending six months in captivity with an Islamist militant group in the Philippines.

"The ICRC is relieved and happy that Mr. Vagni will soon be back with his family and friends who have been living a painful nightmare for almost six months and cannot wait to see him return home," said Jean-Daniel Tauxe, head of ICRC in the Philippines.

Vagni and two other aid workers were seized by gunmen in January of this year while on a humanitarian mission to Jolo, a center of Islamist militant activity.

The two other hostages, Andreas Notter, a Swiss ICRC worker, and Mary Jean Lacama from the Philippines were freed in April.

It is not clear why the militants held Vagni for so long.

"He's doing remarkably well considering the number of days he spent in captivity," said ICRC spokeswoman Anastasia Isyuk.

Isyuk would not go into detail about how Vagni was released, but did say that the ICRC had not paid a ransom.

"The Red Cross has said in the past that it will pay no ransom and we maintain that policy," said Isyuk.

Local Philippine television claimed that Vagni was being swapped for two wives of Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad and four other kidnapping suspects who were arrested earlier this week.

av/AFP/dpa
Editor: Kyle James