Kidnapped British man and his wife rescued from ISIS captors

A British man and his wife who were kidnapped by ISIS terrorists have been rescued by soldiers in the Philippines following a gunfight.

Alan and Wilma Hyrons, two UK nationals, were abducted from their beach resort in the Southern Philippines on October 4.

Almost two months after their kidnapping, the Philippines’ military carried out a rescue operation on the island of Sulu on Monday that resulted in their successful return.

Troops recovered the pair after a firefight with gunmen from the Abu Sayyaf group on the troubled southern island of Jolo, which is a stronghold of the kidnap-for-ransom gang that has been behind some of the worst attacks in the Philippines.

"There was a brief exchange of fire, but they later abandoned the couple after being overwhelmed by pursuing government forces," Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said.

Regional army spokesman Arvin Encinas said no ransom was paid and the hostages were not harmed in the operation.

Their rescue comes days after a key Abu Sayyaf militant who trained suicide bombers was killed.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he spoke with the couple by telephone.

“I am pleased to confirm that both Alan and Wilma Hyrons are safe and well, and being looked after by the Philippine authorities.

“We worked closely with the Government of the Philippines on Alan and Wilma’s case over the last two months. I am very grateful for their tremendous efforts. We are in particular grateful to their Armed Forces for their courage throughout a difficult operation which resulted in their release," he said.

Armed men abducted the couple at their beach resort on the southern island of Mindanao, which makes up the southern third of the Philippines.

Muslim separatists have led a decades-long insurgency in the south of the Catholic-majority Philippines, which has led to the death of tens of thousands of people.

While the government has negotiated peace with the largest group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, hardline factions allied with ISIS are not part of the accord.

On Friday, Philippine soldiers killed a militant who had helped ISIS-linked Abu Sayyaf to stage suicide bombings in the southern province of Sulu.

The body of Talha Jumsah, also known as Abu Talha, was recovered after a clash with troops on Friday in the town of Patikul.

Abu Talha was trained in bomb-making by ISIS and had instructed the militant Abu Sayyaf group in setting up suicide attacks.

He had also served as "finance conduit and liaison" between foreign and local extremist fighters.

"The death of Abu Talha will surely cause demoralisation in the ASG ranks in Sulu," said Army Brigadier General Antonio Nafarrete.

In January, ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing of a Sunday mass in January at a Catholic cathedral on Jolo which killed 21 in the country's worst attack in years.

Authorities blamed the bombing on Abu Sayyaf, which in part funds its violence with ransom payments.

Dutch birdwatcher Ewold Horn, who was kidnapped in 2012 in the southern Philippines, was killed in May during a firefight between his Abu Sayyaf captors and the military.