American aid worker Jeff Woodke has been released SIX YEARS after being held hostage by terrorists in Niger

An American aid worker kidnapped in Niger more than six years ago and held hostage by an al Qaeda terrorist group has finally been released.

President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed Jeff Woodke’s release Monday.

Longtime aid worker Woodke was kidnapped in Abalak in October 2016, becoming the first American citizen to be kidnapped in the Sahel.

JNIM, the umbrella organization that includes al Qaeda, most recently claimed responsibility for a 2018 suicide attack on the Malian headquarters of the G5 Sahel, an international counterterrorism task force, killing two soldiers and a civilian.

In a statement, Sullivan said: “I am pleased and relieved to see the release of US hostage Jeff Woodke after more than six years in captivity. The US thanks Niger for helping bring him home to all who miss and love him.

Longtime aid worker Woodke was kidnapped in Abalak in October 2016, becoming the first American citizen to be kidnapped in the Sahel

President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed Jeff Woodke’s release Monday

“I thank so many in our government who have worked tirelessly to secure his freedom.

“We are working closely with partners in the region and beyond to ensure safe transportation and immediate access to the best medical and mental health support we can offer.

‘Exactly where Jeff goes depends a bit on him.’

Foreign Minister Antony Blinken visited Niger earlier this month, with a senior official confirming that Woodke’s release was discussed during the trip.

The official confirmed that the US had not paid any ransom to terrorists and thanked the Niger government for helping to get his release.

They said: “There was no direct negotiation between the US government and the terrorist organizations here, that should be made clear.

“Sure, we didn’t pay any ransom or concession to any terrorist organization here.

“Among many we have tried over the years, our best endeavor has proved to be to find out what a very good and capable and gratefully willing partner in Niger is able to deliver in its own engagement.”

The official confirmed that the US had not paid any ransom to terrorists and thanked the Niger government for helping to get his release

Woodke dedicated 25 years of his life to a ministry he founded in Niger before his kidnapping in 2016

Woodke was kidnapped from his home by the terrorist network JNIM, which operates in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

He was released outside of Niger in the Mali-Burkina Faso region, according to a senior Biden administration official.

He devoted 25 years of his life to a ministry he founded in Niger after moving from California, according to the Redwood Coast School of Missions.

Woodke was abducted by gunmen in the middle of the night, with his guardian and a National Guard soldier shot dead during the incident.

His kidnapping marked the first time an American national was taken to the vast Sahel region, where al-Qaeda and criminal gangs have long targeted French nationals and other Europeans for kidnapping, demanding millions of dollars for their release.

The kidnapping took place in the town of Abalak, northeast of the capital Niamey in the Tahoua region of Niger.

Despite a peace agreement and an international military intervention in 2013, large parts of Mali are still not controlled by domestic or foreign troops and are subject to attacks by jihadists.