Nusra Front Releases Two Swedish Hostages

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/world/europe/nusra-front-releases-two-swedish-hostages.html

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STOCKHOLM — Two Swedes who were abducted in 2013 by Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, were released on Friday, the Swedish news agency TT reported Saturday, quoting Sweden’s Foreign Ministry and the Palestinian ambassador to Sweden. The ministry also issued a statement on its website confirming the release of the hostages.

The identities of the men were not disclosed, but the news agency said that one of them belonged to a Pentecostal church.

Negotiations for their release had taken more than two months and had been conducted by the Palestinian security service, in cooperation with the Jordanian and Swedish security services, according to Hala Husni Fariz Odeh, the Palestinian ambassador to Sweden, who spoke with the Swedish news agency.

In the Swedish Foreign Ministry’s statement, Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom thanked all those involved in working for the release of the Swedes, including President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and the Jordanian authorities.

A ministry spokesman declined to comment further.