Colleagues of kidnapped Italian Eugenio Vagni at the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) heaved a sigh of relief when he called up his wife late last month, easing grave concerns over his fate following a series of intense clashes in Sulu that left nearly 30 dead from both the military and his Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) captors.

Alain Aeschlimann, ICRC head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, said, "Although Eugenio feels tired, he continues to show remarkable strength in the face of great adversity. His family is also displaying great stoicism."

Aeschlimann said Vagni called up his wife on June 26 and that the conversation with his wife only lasted for a few minutes. The last phone conversation between Vagni and his wife was on June 2.

Vagni, held captive by the ASG for more than five months, has not been sighted during the series of clashes in Sulu from June 2 to June 26, raising fears that he may have been caught in crossfire.

Aeschlimann said the phone call was a relief and encouraged them further to work for his immediate release.

"We are concerned for Eugenio's life, particularly when fighting takes place in Sulu, the island where he was kidnapped on January 15. We know that being able to speak with his loved ones over the telephone is extremely precious to him," said Aeschlimann.