Trump Admin Brings Home Americans Held Captive by Iran-Backed Militants
An American humanitarian worker and a businessman held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen were released on Wednesday in the country’s capital, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said.
He said another American detained in Yemen had died in captivity.
The two Americans and the remains of Bilal Fateen, a U.S. citizen who died in custody, were exchanged for 200 individuals loyal to the Islamist Houthi movement fighting in Yemen against forces supported by Saudi Arabia.
“The United States welcomes the release today of U.S. citizens Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada from Houthi custody in Yemen,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in a statement.
“We send our condolences to the family of Bilal Fateen, whose remains will be repatriated as well.”
O’Brien did not mention the exchange, but thanked the leaders of Oman and Saudi Arabia for their help in securing the release of the Americans.
Kieran Ramsey, director of the administration’s hostage recovery cell, said Loli and Gidada would soon be on their way back to the United States.
“Tragically, one of these Americans died during his unlawful captivity,” Ramsey said.
Kash Patel, a deputy assistant to Trump who worked on the deal, told The Wall Street Journal that Loli had been held by the Houthis for about three years and Gidada was held captive for about a year.
Yemen plunged into chaos and civil war when Houthi rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015.
The war in Yemen has spawned a humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages.
It has killed more than 112,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project that tracks violence.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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