Three women freed after kidnap ordeal
Three US women who were kidnapped in the West Bank today have been freed, say Palestinian security officials.
There was no claim of responsibility by an armed Palestinian group.
However, a man calling himself Hadi Saud contacted The Associated Press in Nablus and said he was the kidnapper.
He demanded to be given a job in the Palestinian security forces and medication for a shooting injury sustained last year, in exchange for releasing the hostages. He provided no proof that he was holding the women.
The security officials said the three women were last seen taking pictures on the outskirts of the Balata refugee camp near Nablus before they were kidnapped. They were held briefly before being released, security officials said.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the US Consulate in Jerusalem, said US officials were informed of the kidnappings. “We take them extremely seriously,” Schweitzer-Bluhm said.
She said American officials were in touch with Palestinian security. She had no details on the identities of the women or what they were doing in the West Bank.
In the past, foreigners have been kidnapped by various Palestinian militant groups. They are usually released unharmed after a few hours.
