French special forces rescue Dutch hostage in Mali

[WorldNews]

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French special forces on Monday freed a Dutch hostage who had been held by Al-Qaeda-linked extremists in Mali for more than three years, after staging a dramatic desert raid that culminated in a gunbattle with his captors. "This combat action has also led to the capture of several individuals," added the ministry, referring to the raid against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). French President Francois Hollande said the freed hostage had been transported to a safe location and that a number of suspected jihadists were killed during the operation. He said the French soldiers were not aware of the hostage's location before the raid against the extremists near Tessalit in Mali's far north, close to the border with Algeria.

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