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Somalia: Western hostages freed in 'US military raid' Somalia: Western hostages freed in US military raid
(about 1 hour later)
Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a rare US military raid there, officials say. Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a rare US military raid there.
The overnight operation was carried out by military helicopters and involved US Navy Seals, unidentified Western officials said. US officials have confirmed that elite US Navy Seals were dropped into Somalia to carry out the overnight operation which resulted in a shoot-out.
A shoot-out followed but a Danish humanitarian group says the two hostages were unharmed. A number of the captors were killed, according to local officals. However the two hostages were freed unharmed, a Danish humanitarian group says.
The two - a US woman and a Danish man - were seized on 25 October.The two - a US woman and a Danish man - were seized on 25 October.
They had been working for the Danish Demining Group when they were abducted by gunmen near the north-central town of Galkayo. American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Thisted, 60, of Denmark had been working for the Danish Demining Group when they were abducted by gunmen near the north-central town of Galkayo, hundreds of kilometres from the capital Mogadishu.
The group helps dispose of unexploded bombs and teaches communities about the dangers of land mines. At the time of the raid they were being kept about 40km east of the town of Adado and 100km south of Galkayo - in a semi-autonomous area controlled by a local administration opposed to the Islamist al-Shabab militants but which has no official links to the transitional government in the capital, Mogadishu.
US officials said the captors were not al-Shabab, "these were criminals".
Other remaining hostages in Somalia include a UK tourist and two Spanish medics who were abducted in neighbouring Kenya.Other remaining hostages in Somalia include a UK tourist and two Spanish medics who were abducted in neighbouring Kenya.
'Safe location''Safe location'
The rescue party is said to have landed close to a compound - thought to be just north of the town of Adado - where hostages were being held. A US official has said the Seals parachuted from a plane into an area near the compound where the two hostages were being held near Adado.
A local security official, Mohamed Nur, told AFP news agency that several of the pirates had been killed. Shots were fired as the team approached the compound, but there were no US casualties, say US officials.
The freed hostages were believed to have been flown to nearby Djibouti by the rescuers, he said. Local officials said that eight or nine of the captors were killed.
They were named as American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Thisted, 60, of Denmark. The rescue team was on the ground for about an hour and the raid was over by 03:00 (24:00 GMT).
Afterwards, the two freed hostages and the Seals left the area by helicopter for the nearby tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti, where the US has a military presence.
The Danish Refugee Council, which had been involved in efforts to free them via mediation, said they were unharmed and "at a safe location".The Danish Refugee Council, which had been involved in efforts to free them via mediation, said they were unharmed and "at a safe location".
Denmark's foreign minister has suggested that a rescue had become a pressing issue because one of the hostages had a "very serious" disease, although no further details were given.
The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington said the first hint of the successful operation appeared to come from US President Barack Obama himself - as he prepared to give the State of the Union address, he turned to his Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and said "Good job tonight."The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington said the first hint of the successful operation appeared to come from US President Barack Obama himself - as he prepared to give the State of the Union address, he turned to his Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and said "Good job tonight."
The US maintains a military presence in the tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti. The aid workers have been taken to Camp Lemonnier, in Djibouti, which "serves as a key location from which US and coalition forces operate in the Horn of Africa" according to its website.
The US says Camp Lemonnier "serves as a key location from which US and coalition forces operate in the Horn of Africa".
About 2,500 personnel - including civilians and defence contractors - are based there as well as armour, fighters and drones.About 2,500 personnel - including civilians and defence contractors - are based there as well as armour, fighters and drones.
Correspondents say that following the killing in 1993 of 19 US soldiers and the wounding of 70 others in the Somali capital Mogadishu, there is no appetite for full-scale US ground operations in Somalia. Correspondents say that following the killing in 1993 of 19 US soldiers and the wounding of 70 others in Mogadishu, there is no appetite for full-scale US ground operations in Somalia.