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| American Journalist Is Freed by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels | American Journalist Is Freed by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebel group on Monday released an American freelance journalist who had been in its custody for about two weeks, according to the journalist’s family. | CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebel group on Monday released an American freelance journalist who had been in its custody for about two weeks, according to the journalist’s family. |
| The release of the journalist, Casey L. Coombs, one of several Americans believed held by the Houthis, came as the abductors of a Frenchwoman seized three months ago released a video, published online, of her pleading with the presidents of France and Yemen for her rescue. The Frenchwoman’s captors are not believed to be Houthis, and may be aligned with Al Qaeda militants in Yemen. | |
| Mr. Coombs, who lived in Sana, Yemen’s capital, was arrested by Houthi militiamen there in mid-May, and traveled to neighboring Oman on Monday. He was scheduled to undergo a medical evaluation there before flying home to Seattle, his mother, Jill Marie Hammill, said in a telephone interview. | Mr. Coombs, who lived in Sana, Yemen’s capital, was arrested by Houthi militiamen there in mid-May, and traveled to neighboring Oman on Monday. He was scheduled to undergo a medical evaluation there before flying home to Seattle, his mother, Jill Marie Hammill, said in a telephone interview. |
| Ms. Hammill said she had received a call from the International Committee of the Red Cross early Monday saying that Mr. Coombs was at the Sana airport and was preparing to leave Yemen. She was able to speak to her son on Monday afternoon, after he arrived in Oman. | Ms. Hammill said she had received a call from the International Committee of the Red Cross early Monday saying that Mr. Coombs was at the Sana airport and was preparing to leave Yemen. She was able to speak to her son on Monday afternoon, after he arrived in Oman. |
| “I cannot describe how happy I am,” she said. | “I cannot describe how happy I am,” she said. |
| Mr. Coombs has written for publications including The Intercept, The American Prospect and Time magazine. | Mr. Coombs has written for publications including The Intercept, The American Prospect and Time magazine. |
| The Obama administration has said a number of Americans have been detained by the Houthis, a Shiite rebel group that took control of Yemen’s capital and forced the United States-backed Yemeni government from power earlier this year. | The Obama administration has said a number of Americans have been detained by the Houthis, a Shiite rebel group that took control of Yemen’s capital and forced the United States-backed Yemeni government from power earlier this year. |
| American officials have not released details on the identities of the others in Houthi custody. | American officials have not released details on the identities of the others in Houthi custody. |
| The video of the abducted Frenchwoman, Isabelle Prime, 30, a consultant for a World Bank-financed project, was the first time Ms. Prime had been seen publicly since she and a Yemeni translator were seized Feb. 24 in a brazen daytime abduction in Sana. The translator, identified by news agencies as Sherine Makkaoui, was freed March 10 in the southern city of Aden. | The video of the abducted Frenchwoman, Isabelle Prime, 30, a consultant for a World Bank-financed project, was the first time Ms. Prime had been seen publicly since she and a Yemeni translator were seized Feb. 24 in a brazen daytime abduction in Sana. The translator, identified by news agencies as Sherine Makkaoui, was freed March 10 in the southern city of Aden. |
| It also was not clear when the video of Ms. Prime was produced, but her reference to the Yemeni president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, suggested it might have been made before he was forced into exile in Saudi Arabia in March by the Houthi insurgents. A Saudi-led military coalition has been bombing Yemen since then as part of its goal to restore Mr. Hadi to power. | It also was not clear when the video of Ms. Prime was produced, but her reference to the Yemeni president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, suggested it might have been made before he was forced into exile in Saudi Arabia in March by the Houthi insurgents. A Saudi-led military coalition has been bombing Yemen since then as part of its goal to restore Mr. Hadi to power. |
| In the video, Ms. Prime, speaking in accented English, appeals to President François Hollande of France and Mr. Hadi. Looking frightened and wearing a black head scarf and shirt, she squints into the video camera. | In the video, Ms. Prime, speaking in accented English, appeals to President François Hollande of France and Mr. Hadi. Looking frightened and wearing a black head scarf and shirt, she squints into the video camera. |
| “My name is Isabelle and I’ve been kidnapped 10 weeks ago in Yemen, in Sana,” she said. “Please bring me to France, fast, because I’m really, really tired. I’ve tried to kill myself several times because I know you will not cooperate, and I totally understand.” | “My name is Isabelle and I’ve been kidnapped 10 weeks ago in Yemen, in Sana,” she said. “Please bring me to France, fast, because I’m really, really tired. I’ve tried to kill myself several times because I know you will not cooperate, and I totally understand.” |
| Government officials in Paris confirmed the authenticity of the video and reiterated their intention to secure Ms. Prime’s release, but provided no further details. | Government officials in Paris confirmed the authenticity of the video and reiterated their intention to secure Ms. Prime’s release, but provided no further details. |
| Yemen, the Middle East’s poorest country and an incubator of Al Qaeda militants, has long been a dangerous place for Westerners. Last December, an American photojournalist, Luke Somers, and a South African teacher, Pierre Korkie, were killed by their Qaeda captors after American military commandos undertook a raid in southern Yemen in an effort to free them. | Yemen, the Middle East’s poorest country and an incubator of Al Qaeda militants, has long been a dangerous place for Westerners. Last December, an American photojournalist, Luke Somers, and a South African teacher, Pierre Korkie, were killed by their Qaeda captors after American military commandos undertook a raid in southern Yemen in an effort to free them. |