British Woman Kidnapped in Malawi Rescued

Police in Malawi have rescued a British woman who was kidnapped in the southern African nation last week, authorities announced Thursday. Nusrat Osman, 47, is safe, according to Inspector General Richard Luhanga, the head of the Malawi police. He declined to provide further details about the operation, stating that a statement would be released later.

Osman's brother, Shobi Jiwa, told Malawi news outlet Nation Online that the rescue involved an operation in which the deputy inspector general of police was shot and wounded. The circumstances surrounding the injury and whether any arrests were made remain unclear.

Osman, a mother of two young children who reportedly works for a local auditing firm, was abducted on September 11 in Blantyre, the country's second-largest city. British media have reported that she is originally from Leicester, England.

Malawi police had previously stated they were searching for four men who were believed to have used a gray car in the abduction. The motive for the kidnapping was not immediately clear, and the suspects had not contacted Osman's family or authorities. Authorities had offered a reward of approximately $17,000 for information leading to her rescue and the arrest and conviction of those responsible.