WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen who was
detained for more than a year and a half by the Houthi faction
in Yemen has been released, Secretary of State John Kerry said
on Sunday.
Wallead Yusuf Pitts Luqman was freed with assistance from
Oman, Kerry said in a statement, adding that he and his aides
had been focused on the case since Luqman was detained.
"We also recognize this positive gesture by the Houthis,"
Kerry said.
The Houthis, a Shiite Muslim group, and forces loyal to
former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh are fighting a civil
war against ousted, but internationally recognized President
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Luqman is the third American held by the Houthis to be
released since mid-October. The government of Oman, a U.S. ally
in the Gulf, mediated in each case.
News reports have described Luqman as a former U.S. Marine
who was abducted in April 2015 while trying to leave Yemen,
where he had been teaching English.
Following the release of two U.S. citizens from Yemen on
Oct. 15, a woman who identified herself as Luqman's wife urged
his release.
"While other Americans continue to be released, Wallead is
left behind. Wallead has missed too much, his children need him
in their life, he needs to come home now," she wrote on
Facebook.
A senior State Department official said Kerry was personally
involved in securing Luqman's release, working closely with
Omani officials and meeting with Luqman's family a few weeks ago
to update them on his efforts.
Kerry called the family today to make sure they knew he was
getting released, said the official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
Oman's state news agency ONA reported earlier on Sunday that
an American held in Yemen, whom it did not identify, was
released in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital of Sanaa and
flown to Oman aboard an Omani royal air force jet.
(Reporting by Warren Strobel; Additional reporting by Lesley
Wroughton; Editing by Chris Reese)
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