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French hostage kidnapped in Yemen released: Elysee

Xinhua, August 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

A French woman kidnapped in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa was released after five months of captivity and would return home in the coming hours, the Elysee Palace announced Friday.

"Our compatriot Isabelle Prime has been freed tonight," said a statement from French President Francois Hollande's office, adding that Paris "has made every effort to achieve this happy end."

"The president of the republic wishes to thank all those who helped reach this outcome, and in particular (Oman's) Sultan Qaboos bin Said," it added in a statement.

Oman played a role in negotiating Prime's release in coordination with "some Yemeni parties" following a request for help from the French government, according to a report of the state-run Oman News Agency.

Prime, working for an international organization, is currently under the protection of French authorities. She and a local interpreter were kidnapped in the Yemeni capital on Feb. 24.

In a video posted on YouTube on May 4, Prime appealed to the French head of state and Yemeni exiled leader to help her and to do more to get her freed.

Details of Prime's release, including what group had been holding her, were not disclosed Friday.

Yemen has seen persistent unrest since 2011 when mass protests forced former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, which created a power vacuum that benefits the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the most active terrorist groups in the Middle East. Endi