Dutch hostage rescued by French commandos after over 3 years in captivity as an al Qaeda hostage
- 9 years ago
French commandos freed a Dutch hostage during a raid on an al Qaeda-linked group in Mali on Monday, French and Dutch officials said.
The release of Sjaak Rijke, a 54-year-old train conductor, comes more than three years after he was taken captive while on holiday with his wife in Timbuktu in November 2011. Rijke was taken along with two other captives, while his wife managed to escape.
French president Francois Hollande said commandos did not intend to find or free any hostages during the pre-dawn raid, during which they killed two militants and captured two others.
"It was a surprise for us, for our forces, to be able to free this hostage as we did not have any information on the presence of this hostage," Hollande said. "Our battle against terrorism in Mali is not over."
Rijke has been transferred to a temporary base in Tessalit, where he is in good health, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders. Koenders added that Rijke would soon be reunited with his family. In Rijke's hometown, Woerden, residents flew the Dutch flag to mark his release, Reuters reports.
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The release of Sjaak Rijke, a 54-year-old train conductor, comes more than three years after he was taken captive while on holiday with his wife in Timbuktu in November 2011. Rijke was taken along with two other captives, while his wife managed to escape.
French president Francois Hollande said commandos did not intend to find or free any hostages during the pre-dawn raid, during which they killed two militants and captured two others.
"It was a surprise for us, for our forces, to be able to free this hostage as we did not have any information on the presence of this hostage," Hollande said. "Our battle against terrorism in Mali is not over."
Rijke has been transferred to a temporary base in Tessalit, where he is in good health, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders. Koenders added that Rijke would soon be reunited with his family. In Rijke's hometown, Woerden, residents flew the Dutch flag to mark his release, Reuters reports.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f
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