Key takeaways:
- The Biden administration announced Monday that American aid worker Jeff Woodke has been released from captivity after more than six years in Niger.
- National security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed his relief in a statement, saying he was “gratified & relieved” to see Woodke released.
- The Biden administration has not released any further information about Woodke’s release or his current whereabouts.
The Biden administration announced Monday that American aid worker Jeff Woodke has been released from captivity after more than six years in Niger. Woodke was kidnapped from his home in Abalak in October 2016 by men who ambushed and killed his guards and forced him at gunpoint into their truck.
A senior administration official briefed reporters on Woodke’s release, but declined to say what led to his freedom or where he is now. National security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed his relief in a statement, saying he was “gratified & relieved” to see Woodke released.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Roger Carstens, the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and other department officials whose yearslong work on Woodke’s plight finally came “to fruition.”
The Biden administration has not released any further information about Woodke’s release or his current whereabouts. It is unclear if any ransom was paid or if any other negotiations took place.
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