Briton’s freedom secured by UAE Army in Yemen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates said Sunday that its military freed a British hostage who was kidnapped 18 months ago by Al-Qaeda in Yemen, which has expanded its reach amid fighting between Shiite rebels and their opponents. A statement carried by the UAE’s official WAM news agency identified the British hostage as Robert Douglas Semple, 64, who was working as a petroleum engineer in the Yemeni province of Hadramawt when he was kidnapped in February 2014. The statement did not say where Semple had been held in Yemen or provide any details on the rescue. Yemeni security officials contacted by The Associated Press said they were not aware of any Yemeni forces assisting in the operation and did not have details about how Semple was released, suggesting his handover may have been negotiated among local tribesmen before the involvement of Emirati forces. AP