The French authorities paid millions of euros to terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda (terrorist group banned in Russia) to release two captives, one French and one US citizen, a source in the Malian government told Sputnik on Tuesday, citing secret service information
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2023) The French authorities paid millions of Euros to terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda (terrorist group banned in Russia) to release two captives, one French and one US citizen, a source in the Malian government told Sputnik on Tuesday, citing secret service information.
French journalist Olivier Dubois was kidnapped in Mali on April 8, 2021, when he was going to record an interview with a local extremist. US aid worker Jeff Woodke was kidnapped in Niger in 2016.
"Yesterday in Niger, French citizen Olivier Dubois and US citizen Jeff Woodke were released. They were held captive by a terrorist group. According to the Malian intelligence services, the captives were released after the French authorities paid millions of euros to terrorists of the Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin terrorist group," the source said.
