hostages

Jihadists free French and American hostages in Niger

International — Link

French journalist Olivier Dubois, 48, who was kidnapped in northern Mali by jihadists in April 2021, and American aid worker Jeffery Woodke, 62, who was abducted in Niger in October 2016, were both released on Monday, when they appeared at a press conference in Niger's capital, Niamey.

French hostages freed in Burkina Faso arrive back in Paris

International — Link

Two French tourists kidnapped while on a safari trip in Benin and who were rescued last week along with two other hostages after their captors transferred them to the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, arrived at a military airfield close to Paris on Saturday where they and a South Korean woman freed with them were greeted by President Emmanuel Macron.

French hostages drama highlights jihadist expansion into Burkina Faso

International

Two French tourists who were taken hostage earlier this month while exploring the Pendjari national park in Benin, when their guide was murdered, arrived back in France on Saturday. They were freed from a location in nearby Burkina Faso by a special forces operation on Friday, during which two French marines lost their lives. The dramatic events have highlighted how jihadist groups have recently begun seizing control of swathes of this region of West Africa, taking advantage of a growing resentment among sections of the population against state authorities. Rémi Carayol reports.

Two French marines die rescuing hostages in Burkina Faso

International — Link

Two marines and four suspected kidnappers died in an exchange of fire when a French special forces unit overnight rescued two French nationals, an American and a South Korean being held hostage in northern Burkina Faso.

Brussels Jewish Museum attack suspect questioned over Syria hostages

International — Link

Mehdi Nemmouche, 32, detained in Belgium on suspicion of carrying out the May 2014 shooting attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, which left four people dead, was transported to Paris on Wednesday to appear before an examining magistrate investigating his suspected role as jailkeeper in Syria between 2013 and 2014 of four French journalists taken hostage there.

Mali hotel attack: '170 hostages seized' in Bamako

International — Link

Gunmen shouting 'God is great!' have seized control of Radisson Blu Hotel in capital of Mali where French troops intervened in 2013.

French jihadist who held Western hostages in Syria named

International — Link

Salim Benghalem, 35, said to be one of captors who held four French reporters, who were freed in April 2014 after 10 months in captivity.

Armed gunman escape after shopping mall raid north of Paris

France — Link

Police released 18 people trapped inside a Primark clothing store in Villeneuve-la-Garenne after an attempted armed robbery.

French commandos free Dutch hostage from al-Qaeda group in northern Mali

International — Link

Sjaak Rijke, a Dutch train conductor kidnapped from a Timbuktu restaurant in November 2011, was freed in a dawn raid by French troops.

France sieges: hostages hid in refrigerators and under sink

France — Link

Stories emerge of how hidden man at besieged printing works fed information to police by text, while a father hid his son in supermarket fridge.

Second French jihadist identified on Islamic State video

International — Link

The man, who features in the film showing IS militants beheading hostages, has been named as Islamic convert Michael Dos Santos, 22.

Al-Qaeda's North African arm releases video of French, Dutch hostages

International — Link

Serge Lazarevic, held in the Sahara for almost three years since kidnapped in Mali, asks French president 'to do everything to free me'.

Former French hostage says IS captives do not know they are about to die

International — Link

Didier François, released by IS earlier this year, said repeated mock executions leave hostages unaware of when the jihadists decide to kill.

Brussels murder suspect ‘planned Bastille Day atrocity’ in Paris

France — Link

Libération insists Mehdi Nemmouche told journalists held hostage in Syria of his plan to attack Paris, but interior minister dismisses claim.

France denies report it paid 18M-dollar ransom for Syria hostages

International — Link

German magazine Focus cited NATO sources in a report that Paris paid the kidnappers of four French journalists freed earlier this month.