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2 Finns, Austrian abducted in Yemen by al-Qaeda free after four months

A Finnish couple and an Austrian student abducted in Yemen by al-Qaeda militants more than four months ago have been freed and have arrived safety in Vienna, authorities said.

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Atte Kaleva (left) and Leila Kaleva. Photo: EPA

A Finnish couple and an Austrian student abducted in Yemen by al-Qaeda militants more than four months ago have been freed and have arrived safety in Vienna, authorities said.

The two Finns, Leila and Atte Kaleva, "will return to their loved ones as soon as possible", the Finnish foreign ministry said.

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"In view of the circumstances, they are in good condition. The long deprivation of liberty, however, is a traumatic experience both for those abducted and for their loved ones," the ministry's said in a statement on Thursday.

They and the Austrian man, Dominik Neubauer, 26, were being treated at a military hospital in Vienna, authorities said.

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The trio, seized in Sanaa on December 21, were freed by tribesmen on the border with Oman overnight on Wednesday, a Yemeni official said. "They were kidnapped by al-Qaeda militants … demanding a ransom and the release of members held in Yemeni jails," he said.

A tribal source said the kidnappers were demanding US$50 million to release the Europeans.

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