South African Couple Rescued from Somali Pirates

[pmfaraajo]

Thanks to Terror Free Somalia, here's a press release from the interim Somali government, the forces of which have just rescued a South African couple held hostage by pirates in Somalia. You'll have to excuse the English in it, but I'm pretty sure that by "two couples" they mean two people, one couple.

The names of the two rescued hostages are Deborah Calitz and Bruno Pelizzari. They were kidnapped while sailing off the Somali coast back in October of 2010. There's no indication of al Qaeda in East Africa's involvement here, so by "terrorists" I think the Somali government means lawless elements in general:

Mogadishu, Thursday, June 21,2012 – The acting Prime Minister of Somalia and Minister of defenCe, Hussein Arab Isse displayed Buruno and David, two South African couples who were held captives by terrorist groups for more than a year.

Arab Issa said the two were rescued in an operation carried out by the military and security agencies in an early morning raid which resulted in their release. Minister for defence stated that the Somali National Army (SNM) have the capability to carry out effective and coordinated military rescue operations.
Mr. Arab Issa thanked the Minister of foreign affairs of Somalia Abdullahi Haji who was involved in the arbitration between the government of Somalia and South Africa the release of the two hostages.

The two South African couples will be flown home from the Aden Ade International Airport in Mogadishu. Arab Isse stated the Somali government’s dedication and commitment to fight terrorists.

Minister of foreign affairs expressed his happiness in the successful operation of the Somali National Army in which the two South African natives were freed and pledged that the SNA will rescue other captives.

“We are happy that we have been rescued by the government of Somalia. We owe them our lives. We have been in the hands of the terrorist for almost two years”, David said in an address to the media...via http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/212753.php