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American-Canadian family held hostage for five years by Taliban freed by Pakistan Army

India Blooms News Service | | Oct 13, 2017, at 11:09 pm

#Pakistan #Afghanistan #CanadianFamilyRelease #Taliban #AfghanistanTaliban #Joshua Boyle #Caitlan Coleman

Islamabad, Oct 13 (IBNS): The Pakistani Army has said it has freed a North American family of five who were held hostage by the Afghan Taliban.

"Canadian Joshua Boyle and his US wife Caitlan Coleman were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012. They had three children while in captivity," BBC reported.

Pakistan's ISPR said in a statement: "Pak Army in coordination with intelligence agencies recovered 5 Western hostages including 1 Canadian, his US National wife and their three children from terrorist custody through an intelligence based operation by Pakistan troops and intelligence agencies."

They were captured by Terrorists from Afghanistan during 2012 and kept as hostages there. US intelligence agencies had been tracking them and shared their shifting across to Pakistan on 11 Oct 2017 through Kurram Agency border.

The statement further read: "The operation by Pakistani forces, based on actionable intelligence from US authorities was successful; all hostages were recovered safe and sound and are being repatriated to the country of their origin. The success underscores the importance of timely intelligence sharing and Pakistan's continued commitment towards fighting this menace through cooperation between two forces against a common enemy."

Meanwhile, as per media reports, the family has boarded a flight to Canada on Friday.

The American-Canadian family that was freed from Taliban captivity by Pakistan Army boarded a flight to Canada on Friday, Geo News reported citing airport sources.

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