Washington, Oct 19 (TNS): Taking U-turn, US authorities claimed that US-Canadian family was remained hostage inside Pakistan for five years.
Earlier, the US and Pakistan officials asserted that kidnappers with hostages were entered into Pakistan from Afghanistan in a vehicle.
The head of the CIA said on Thursday that a US-Canadian couple kidnapped by Islamist militants in Afghanistan were held inside neighboring Pakistan for five years before being freed, UK based news agency reported.
“We had a great outcome last week when we were able to get back four U.S. citizens who had been held for five years inside of Pakistan,” CIA Director Mike Pompeo told the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington.
Pompeo’s remarks appeared to be the first time a U.S. official has publicly stated that the couple and their children spent their captivity in Pakistan, contrary to accounts from Pakistani officials.
Pakistan’s military and government have indicated U.S. citizen Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their children were rescued shortly after entering Pakistan from Afghanistan. The couple were kidnapped in 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan and their children were born in captivity.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have previously said there was no indication the hostages had been in Afghanistan in the days before they were freed.
The officials said the United States believed the hostages were probably held by the Haqqani militant group in northwestern Pakistan the entire time.
