Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Kidnapped British reporter Alan Johnston has been released after nearly four months in captivity, Hamas said Wednesday.
Johnston, a correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corp., was not seen after the announcement, but the Islamic militant group said he was in the custody of its military wing and meeting with deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.
The release was announced by the Islamic militant group’s TV and confirmed in a text message from Hamas to The Associated Press.
The report did not explain how the reporter was freed or provide any other details.
Hamas had demanded Johnston’s freedom since it violently seized control of Gaza last month, in an apparent bid to gain favor with the West.
On Tuesday, Hamas gunmen took positions around the stronghold of the shadowy group holding Johnston, stepping up the pressure to secure his release.
Johnston was kidnapped from a Gaza City street on March 12, spending far more time in captivity than any Western journalist abducted in Gaza. Hamas had said it knew where to find him, but has not raided the hideout for fear he would come to harm.
