A British woman kidnapped in Malawi nearly a week ago has been rescued during a police operation that left four suspected kidnappers dead and a senior police officer wounded, authorities said.
Nusrat Osman, 47, was freed on Thursday during an operation on the outskirts of Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city.
Police said officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects, who were armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol.
The four suspects were shot during the confrontation and later died in hospital, according to the Malawi Police Service.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Kayira was also shot during the rescue operation and was receiving treatment in hospital. Police said his condition was stable.
Osman was reunited with her family after being freed and was taken to hospital for treatment and physical and psychological assessments, local media reported.
Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga said Osman remained traumatised and would be interviewed once she had recovered sufficiently.
Authorities said the motive behind the kidnapping remained unclear and that investigations were continuing.
Osman’s younger brother, Shobi Jiwa, praised Malawian police for securing her release and thanked officers involved in the investigation.
He also paid tribute to Kayira for risking his life during the operation.
Police have not publicly identified the four suspected kidnappers or disclosed how investigators located the group.
Osman was abducted on September 11 in Blantyre’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood while driving home.
Police said four unidentified men blocked her vehicle, forced her into another car and drove away.
Her disappearance triggered a major search operation, with authorities offering a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha, about $17,000, for information leading to her rescue and the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Osman, who is originally from Leicester in the United Kingdom, has lived in Malawi for several years and works for an auditing firm. She is married and has two young children.
The British Foreign Office had said it was aware of reports that a British national had been abducted in Malawi and was in contact with local authorities.
Investigators had said the case was unusual because no ransom demand or communication from the kidnappers had been reported after Osman disappeared.
Her family had issued public appeals for information and urged anyone who could assist police to come forward.
The case also caused concern among Malawi’s business community and British residents in the country, where kidnappings of foreign nationals are relatively rare.
Police said they were continuing to investigate whether other people were involved and to establish the full circumstances of the kidnapping and rescue.
