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UK reporter freed in Afghanistan | UK reporter freed in Afghanistan |
(31 minutes later) | |
A UK journalist abducted in Afghanistan has been freed by Nato troops in a pre-dawn raid, an Afghan official has said. | A UK journalist abducted in Afghanistan has been freed by Nato troops in a pre-dawn raid, an Afghan official has said. |
New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was kidnapped on Saturday along with his Afghan interpreter while trying to visit the scene of a Nato air strike. | New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was kidnapped on Saturday along with his Afghan interpreter while trying to visit the scene of a Nato air strike. |
The translator was killed by Taliban fighters during the operation, according to foreign news reports. | The translator was killed by Taliban fighters during the operation, according to foreign news reports. |
Mr Farrell said he had been "extracted" by "a lot of soldiers" after a fierce firefight, the New York Times reported. | Mr Farrell said he had been "extracted" by "a lot of soldiers" after a fierce firefight, the New York Times reported. |
Special forces | |
The newspaper's website reported he had phoned the foreign editor of the newspaper at about 0030 BST (2330 GMT) and said: "I'm out! I'm free." Mr Farrell said he also called his wife. | |
Some reports from Afghanistan suggest that British special forces were involved in the rescue, but a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman declined to comment. | |
A spokeswoman told the BBC: "It was a Nato operation, we do not comment on special forces." | |
In 2004 the journalist was kidnapped in Iraq while working for the UK's Times newspaper. | |
Mr Farrell is the second New York Times journalist to be kidnapped in Afghanistan in a year. | |
In June, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Rohde and his Afghan colleague were abducted in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and moved across the border to Pakistan from where they escaped. |