A coalition of separatists in Mali, the Azawad Liberation Front, on Tuesday said it had freed a Spanish national kidnapped by a group of bandits in Algeria. The kidnappers had hoped to sell him to the Islamic State (IS) group in Mali but were stopped before they could hand him over.

The Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, a coalition of separatist armed groups in Mali's predominately Tuareg north, said on X that it freed Spanish citizen Gilbert Navarro. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Algeria’s Defense Ministry reported late Tuesday that Spanish tourist Gilbert Navarro, kidnapped earlier this month near the country’s southern border with Mali, has been safely recovered. According to the ministry, Navarro was handed over to the army’s security services and is unharmed.