"Jehovah's Witnesses Freed from Jihadist Captivity in Mali"

An elderly Italian Jehovah's Witnesses couple and their son, who were kidnapped by jihadists in Mali in May 2022, have been released and are in good health, with their domestic worker's fate unclear. Italy's intelligence agency and foreign ministry, with the help of community leaders and Mali's intelligence agencies, secured their release. The family had been living in an area heavily infiltrated by jihadists, and the kidnappings were carried out by a faction linked to an al-Qaeda affiliate. Mali has been plagued by insurgency, with jihadists frequently kidnapping foreign nationals for ransom or to demand the release of fellow fighters.