Swiss photographer held hostage by Islamist extremists for two years escapes by grabbing machete and cutting captor's throat in dramatic break for freedom

• Lorenzo Vinciguerra seized while sailing in southern Philippines in 2012
• He'd been kept by rebels of Aby Sayyaf along with Dutch man Ewold Horn
• Swiss wrestled for the weapon during clashes between rebels and troops
• 49-year-old then fled captivity amid gunfire - Horn was too sick to escape

By STEPH COCKROFT FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 11:51 GMT, 6 December 2014 | UPDATED: 13:06 GMT, 6 December 2014

A Swiss wildlife photographer who was held hostage by Islamic extremists for more than two years has dramatically escaped to his freedom by cutting his captor's throat with a machete.

Hostage Lorenzo Vinciguerra bravely fled from his kidnappers during a clash between insurgents and governments troops in the southern Philippines.

The 49-year-old and Dutch photographer Ewold Horn had been captured in February 2012 by rebels of the Aby Sayyaf group while on a bird-watching trip in Tawi-Tawi province.

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Swiss Photographer Held Hostage by Islamist Extremists for Two Years Escapes by Grabbing Machete and Cuttin... by Thavam Ratna