A plane carrying Spanish hostage Gilbert Navarro, who was kidnapped in North Africa on January 17, was expected to land in Algeria's Boufarik airbase, Algerian state media reported on Tuesday.
His expected arrival at the Algerian airbase comes after a Tuareg rebel alliance in northern Mali said late on Monday they had released Navarro.
Spain's foreign ministry said on Friday a Spanish man had been kidnapped in North Africa.
El País newspaper reported the man was kidnapped in southern Algeria by an Islamist group and taken to Mali, though the foreign ministry did not confirm that information.
In a post on X, one of the leaders of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said Spanish national Gilbert Navarro “kidnapped in Algeria a few days ago” and transported by his captors to north Mali had been freed by FLA forces on Monday. An FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said on X the FLA had freed Navarro, who was in good health, and more details would follow.
The Spanish foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Spain is involved in a dispute between Morocco and Algeria over Western Sahara, which was controlled by Spain until 1975 and is now claimed by Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks its independence.
Reuters
Freed Spanish hostage set to land at Algerian airbase
Image: REUTERS/ Abdolah Ag Mohamed
A plane carrying Spanish hostage Gilbert Navarro, who was kidnapped in North Africa on January 17, was expected to land in Algeria's Boufarik airbase, Algerian state media reported on Tuesday.
His expected arrival at the Algerian airbase comes after a Tuareg rebel alliance in northern Mali said late on Monday they had released Navarro.
Spain's foreign ministry said on Friday a Spanish man had been kidnapped in North Africa.
El País newspaper reported the man was kidnapped in southern Algeria by an Islamist group and taken to Mali, though the foreign ministry did not confirm that information.
In a post on X, one of the leaders of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said Spanish national Gilbert Navarro “kidnapped in Algeria a few days ago” and transported by his captors to north Mali had been freed by FLA forces on Monday. An FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said on X the FLA had freed Navarro, who was in good health, and more details would follow.
The Spanish foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Spain is involved in a dispute between Morocco and Algeria over Western Sahara, which was controlled by Spain until 1975 and is now claimed by Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks its independence.
Reuters
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