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| Spanish hostages freed from Somalia | Spanish hostages freed from Somalia |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two Spanish aid workers kidnapped in Kenya nearly two years ago and held over the border in Somali have been freed, their employer has said. | Two Spanish aid workers kidnapped in Kenya nearly two years ago and held over the border in Somali have been freed, their employer has said. |
| Medecins Sans Frontieres said the two women were both "safe and healthy and keen to join their loved ones". | Medecins Sans Frontieres said the two women were both "safe and healthy and keen to join their loved ones". |
| Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut were abducted from Dadaab refugee camp in October 2011. | Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut were abducted from Dadaab refugee camp in October 2011. |
| Following their abduction and those of other hostages, Kenya sent troops into Somalia to battle Islamist militants. | Following their abduction and those of other hostages, Kenya sent troops into Somalia to battle Islamist militants. |
| In a statement, MSF said it was with great relief that the organisation was able to confirm the women's release. | In a statement, MSF said it was with great relief that the organisation was able to confirm the women's release. |
| "MSF wishes to thank everyone involved in securing their safe release," it said, without giving further details about how they were freed. | "MSF wishes to thank everyone involved in securing their safe release," it said, without giving further details about how they were freed. |
| "As we are still working on the return of the two girls to their homes, we ask you to respect their need for privacy at this time." | "As we are still working on the return of the two girls to their homes, we ask you to respect their need for privacy at this time." |
| The women were kidnapped on 13 October 2011 by gunmen who opened fire on their vehicle inside the Dadaab refugee camp complex, shooting and wounding their Kenyan driver. | The women were kidnapped on 13 October 2011 by gunmen who opened fire on their vehicle inside the Dadaab refugee camp complex, shooting and wounding their Kenyan driver. |
| Dadaab, said to be the world's largest refugee camp, houses some 500,000 people who have fled years of conflict and drought across the border in Somalia. | Dadaab, said to be the world's largest refugee camp, houses some 500,000 people who have fled years of conflict and drought across the border in Somalia. |
| Both women were working as logisticians for MSF in Dadaab. | Both women were working as logisticians for MSF in Dadaab. |
| Ms Serra, a qualified teacher from Girona in Spain, had been working in Kenya for two months before she was kidnapped. She had previously worked on aid projects in Latin America and Yemen. | Ms Serra, a qualified teacher from Girona in Spain, had been working in Kenya for two months before she was kidnapped. She had previously worked on aid projects in Latin America and Yemen. |
| An agricultural engineer by training, Ms Thiebaut from Madrid had not long finished a degree at the London School of Economics at the time of her abduction. | |
| Kenya accused the al-Qaeda-aligned group al-Shabab of being behind their kidnapping and a spate of others in 2011, thus threatening the country's security. | Kenya accused the al-Qaeda-aligned group al-Shabab of being behind their kidnapping and a spate of others in 2011, thus threatening the country's security. |
| It sent troops into Somalia to pursue them and later seized most of the border region from al-Shabab. | It sent troops into Somalia to pursue them and later seized most of the border region from al-Shabab. |
| Its soldiers in Somalia have now been absorbed into the African Union (AU) force which is helping the weak Somali government. | Its soldiers in Somalia have now been absorbed into the African Union (AU) force which is helping the weak Somali government. |
| Although the AU and Somali government have driven al-Shabab from most major cities, its fighters still control smaller towns and rural areas in central and southern Somalia and they sometimes launch attacks in government-controlled territory. | Although the AU and Somali government have driven al-Shabab from most major cities, its fighters still control smaller towns and rural areas in central and southern Somalia and they sometimes launch attacks in government-controlled territory. |