Austrian, Swiss girls kidnapped in Niger are freed — report
Niger launched two girls, one Swiss and the opposite Austrian, after over a 12 months of holding them captive, in line with a number of stories.
The two girls had been flown out to Libya’s japanese metropolis of Benghazi, Libyan media outlets reported on Thursday.
The Austrian nationwide, recognized by Austrian authorities as Eva G., and the Swiss nationwide, whom the Swiss overseas ministry has not beforehand named, had been each kidnapped in Niger in 2025.
Eva G. is in her 70s, and the Swedish girl, recognized by media retailers as Claudia Abbt, is 69 years previous, in line with stories.
Eva G. was kidnapped within the desert city of Agadez in central Niger, in January 2025. Abbt was kidnapped in April 2025.
It was not instantly clear which group was holding them and what calls for it had made.
Libyan information channel releases video of the 2 girls free of captivity
In a video released by Libya’s al-Masar TV, the ladies appeared bodily weakened.
Both girls thanked the deputy commander-in-chief of Libya’s armed forces, Khalifa Haftar, and his son, Saddam, for his or her launch. Haftar reportedly oversaw the operation that freed the ladies.
“I had been held hostage for a 12 months and 9 months,” Eva G. mentioned, whereas Abbt mentioned she was “comfortable to be free,” additionally thanking Haftar.
Libya and Niger share a border a whole bunch of miles lengthy, slicing via the Sahara Desert and connecting with Algeria and Chad on both facet. Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that adopted the 2011 NATO-backed rebellion that toppled longtime ruler Moammar Gaddafi.
At the second, two governments are vying for power there: a UN-recognized administration led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and its rival within the east, backed by Haftar.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
Editor’s notice: DW has not but independently verified the video launched by the Libyan information channel that exhibits the 2 girls, now freed, talking to digicam.
