An Australian doctor held captive by al Qaeda-linked extremists for more than seven years in West Africa has been released, the Australian government said on Friday.
An 88-year-old Australian doctor held captive by Islamic extremists in West Africa for more than seven years has been freed and has returned to Australia.
Burkina Faso: 7 years in captivity of jihadists and 88 years released thenewsteller.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenewsteller.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Australian government said on Friday (May 19) that an 88-year-old Australian surgeon, Kenneth Elliott, has been freed by terrorist group Al Quaeda-linked jihadists. Elliott and his wife were captured by the jihadists in Burkina Faso in Africa in January 2016. His wife was released three weeks later. The doctor however, was held in captivity for seven years.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the doctor returned to Australia on Thursday night.
"Dr Elliott is safe and well and has been reunited with his wife Jocelyn and their children," Wong said.
Twenty civilians, including women and children, were killed between Monday and Wednesday in two attacks by suspected jihadists in central-eastern Burkina Faso, security and local sources told AFP on Friday.