A British woman kidnapped in Malawi was rescued after nearly a week in captivity, police said on Friday, in an operation that left four suspected kidnappers dead and a senior police chief wounded.
Nusrat Osman, 47, a mother of two, was freed on Thursday night on the outskirts of Blantyre in southern Malawi, according to the Malawi Police Service.
Police said officers exchanged gunfire with the suspected kidnappers, who were armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol.
The four suspects were shot and taken to hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
Senior police chief wounded
Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Kayira, who took part in the operation, was also wounded by gunfire and remains hospitalised in stable condition, police said.
Authorities have not identified the four suspects or provided details on how police located them.
Osman was taken to hospital after her rescue for medical treatment and physical and psychological assessments before being reunited with her family.
Major search followed abduction
Osman was abducted by four unidentified men in Blantyre’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood on September 11 while she was driving home, triggering a major search operation.
Authorities had offered a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha, about $17,000, for information leading to her rescue and the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Police have not disclosed a possible motive for the kidnapping or whether anyone else was involved.
