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France: 3 Hostages Captured in Niger Released

26 February 2011 01:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. France says three hostages kidnapped in the west African nation of Niger last year have been released, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.

The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy says that the three were released late Thursday and are in â€œgood health.â€

Multiple sources say the freed hostages are nationals from France, Togo and Madagascar.

They were kidnapped last September in the Niger mining town of Arlit and taken to neighboring Mali. Four other French nationals were seized at the same time.

Al-Qaida’s North African wing, known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

The statement from Mr. Sarkozy’s office Friday gave no details on the fate of the remaining hostages.

French officials have expressed increasing concern about al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The group has carried out a series of killings and kidnappings across Africa’s Sahel region, most of them targeting Westerners.