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Taliban hostage family 'freed by Pakistani troops' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Pakistani soldiers have freed a North American family of five who were being held hostage by the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan's military says. | Pakistani soldiers have freed a North American family of five who were being held hostage by the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan's military says. |
They were rescued during an operation in Kurram tribal district near the Afghan border, the army said. | They were rescued during an operation in Kurram tribal district near the Afghan border, the army said. |
The army did not name the family, but Canadian Joshua Boyle and his US wife Caitlan Coleman were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012. | |
They are known to have had children while in captivity. | They are known to have had children while in captivity. |
"Pak Army recovered five Western hostages including one Canadian, his US national wife and their three children from terrorist custody," an army statement said. | "Pak Army recovered five Western hostages including one Canadian, his US national wife and their three children from terrorist custody," an army statement said. |
Videos of the couple have been released by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network during their captivity. The insurgent group has been demanding the release of three of its prisoners in Afghanistan. | |
The latest video, released last December, showed the couple with two young boys. In it, Ms Coleman - who was pregnant when she and Mr Boyle were abducted - begged for an end to their "Kafkaesque nightmare". |