The fate of 15 European tourists taken hostage in Algeria’s vast Sahara desert was shrouded in confusion after the Algerian army denied reports they had been released. German NTV television said the 15 hostages — 10 Germans, four Swiss and a Dutchman — had been freed and flown to the capital Algiers. And security sources in Berlin told AFP that none of the European tourists, some of whom went missing three months ago, remained in the hands of their abductors. It added, however, that it was unsure if any of the tourists in the second group had been hurt or killed. French radio station RFI also quoted members of the Algerian security forces as saying that the 15 remaining hostages had been freed overnight Sunday or early Monday morning. But on Monday the Algerian army denied that the second group of hostages had been freed. “Algerian army chiefs of staff on Monday afternoon formally denied information saying that the second group of hostages held by an armed group in the Algerian Sahara has been freed,” the army said in a statement. Full Story
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