World | Other World Stories
Austrian hostages in the Sahara set free
Two Austrian hostages held for months by militants in the Sahara have been freed and are now in the hands of Malian authorities, the Austrian and Malian governments said on Friday.
Bamako: Two Austrian hostages held for months by militants in the Sahara have been freed and are now in the hands of Malian authorities, the Austrian and Malian governments said on Friday.
Andrea Kloiber, then 43, and Wolfgang Ebner, then 51, disappeared in February while on holiday in Tunisia and are believed to have been held by Al Qaida's North African wing in a remote part of Mali deep in the Sahara.
"Special envoy Anton Prohaska told me today that Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber were set free by their captors last night after 252 days," Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said in a statement.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
Diabetes: A ticking time bomb
Gulf News takes a closer look at the spread of diabetes in the UAE
-
Africa segment at Dubai film festival
Productions feature interesting mix of genres tackling serious issues
-
What to expect at the Dubai Airshow
We preview what types of aircraft to expect at the Dubai Airshow

