Jolo, Sulu – Government troops, aided by armed villagers guarding a part of the cordoned area in Indanan, Sulu, rescued Swiss national Andreas Notter shortly after sunrise Saturday as government troops continued to advance closer to the kidnappers’ lair in the forested area of the municipality.

Notter was rescued as the Abu Sayyaf tried to spring him out from police and military cordon at around 5.30 a.m. in Indanan, Sulu Governor and ICRC Crisis Committee head Abdusakur Tan said Saturday.

Tan said policemen and armed villagers were guarding part of the cordoned area when they spotted Notter with a group of armed men and pursued them until the Swiss hostage was rescued.

“The Abu Sayyaf guards were overwhelmed by police forces and armed villagers and they had no choice but to release Notter. He was later brought to the house of Governor Tan,” a member of the rescue operation said.

At press time, it was reported that Notter was resting at the house of Tan in this town and might be flown out of Jolo, Sulu anytime, he said.

Another group of Abu Sayyaf rebels continued to hold captive Italian national Eugenio Vagni in the forested area of the municipality and were reportedly very mobile to avoid being captured by the soldiers, Tan reported.

The military continued to tighten its cordon around Abu Sayyaf terrorists lair in the municipality to free Vagni, the remaining Red Cross captive, as the number of residents evacuated in Sulu rose to 7,700.

Hundreds of policemen and armed villagers were guarding portion of the cordoned area near the highway in Indanan when they spotted and intercepted the rebels that led to the rescue of Notter from his captors.

Tan said Muslim clerics will continue to exert efforts to convince the terrorists to release Vagni whom they seized Jan. 15 along with Mary Jean Lacaba in Patikul, Sulu.

The ASG released Lacaba after a series of negotiations and spending 78 days in the forest of Indanan with the rebels.