French special forces carried out the raid under cover of dark over the night of Thursday-Friday, supported by US intelligence and troops from France's Barkhane operation deployed in the Sahel region to counter Islamist militants.
The French forces had not been aware of the presence of the U.S. and South Korean hostages ahead of the operation and they had been held for 28 days, Lecointre said."The contacts show that these countries were not necessarily aware of their presence." South Korea had confirmed the identity of the South Korean hostage, a woman in her 40s, its foreign ministry said.
The region has seen a spike in violence by militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in past years, highlighting the difficulty international partners face in restoring stability.Burkina Faso's President Roch Kabore hailed the hostages' release and offered condolences to the soldiers' families. Swathes of northern and eastern Burkina Faso have been overrun by militants, leaving the government struggling to assert authority and forcing over 100,000 residents to flee.
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