Muslim extremists in the southern Philippines yesterday freed three French citizens, a South African and a German from among their 29 hostages, with the remaining seven Western captives expected to be released within a week.
Four women were among those freed in emotional scenes on Jolo island where they have been held captive for just over four months by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
Three French citizens, Ms Sonia Wendling, Ms Maryse Burgot and Ms Marie Moarbes, and a South African, Ms Monique Strydom, joined a German, Mr Werner Wallert, in their bus journey to freedom.
Another seven Western hostages - three Frenchmen, two Finns, a German and a South African - stayed behind along with 17 Filipinos in what the Abu Sayyaf gunmen described as "insurance" against any military attack.
The freed hostages, sobbing and hugging each other, were delivered by bus to a Jolo army outpost before they flew out of the island in helicopters to nearby Zamboanga city.
A military aircraft then took them to the central city of Cebu where they would stay for a night. They are expected to take a 14-hour flight today to Libya, which stands to reap the goodwill of a grateful Europe for helping Manila convince the gunmen to let their citizens go.
The five freed hostages feasted on pizzas and soft drinks during the short journey to Cebu, where they will be put up at a heavily guarded military base near the airport.
Some of the hostages were overcome by emotion as they were freed and had to be pulled away from loved ones who remained captive. Mr Wallert, a teacher, left behind his son, Marc, while Ms Strydom left her husband and Ms Wendling her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Muslim separatist guerrillas killed 10 civilians in an ambush on a minibus on the southern island of Mindanao early yesterday, a military spokesman said.
Rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked the minibus near Carmen. Three MILF rebels and a soldier were killed in a clash near Munai on Mindanao before dawn on Saturday.