Canadian-American family, kidnapped in 2012 in Afghanistan, recovered by Pakistan Army

Published October 12, 2017
Linda Boyle's mother and Lyn Coleman hold photo of their married children, Canadian citizen Joshua Boyle and American citizen Caitlan Coleman, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in late 2012.  — AP/File
Linda Boyle's mother and Lyn Coleman hold photo of their married children, Canadian citizen Joshua Boyle and American citizen Caitlan Coleman, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in late 2012. — AP/File

The Pakistan Army said on Thursday that it had recovered "safe and sound" a family of foreign hostages from the custody of a terrorist outfit after it received and acted on intelligence shared by the United States (US).

An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement today said the hostages included a Canadian man, his American wife and their three children. The hostages were recovered "through an intelligence-based operation by Pakistani troops and intelligence agencies."

"They were captured by terrorists from Afghanistan in 2012 and kept as hostages there," the ISPR handout read.

"US intelligence agencies had been tracking them and shared their shifting across to Pakistan on October 11, 2017, through the Kurram Agency border," ISPR said.

The recovered hostages "are being repatriated to their country of origin."

Although the identities of the recovered hostages have not yet been revealed or confirmed by the army's media wing, they are believed to be Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman, kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012 while on a backpacking trip, and their three children — all of whom were born in captivity.

Caitlan Coleman (L), Joshua Boyle (C) and their two sons in a picture released in December 2016. ─ Reuters/File
Caitlan Coleman (L), Joshua Boyle (C) and their two sons in a picture released in December 2016. ─ Reuters/File

Coleman, 31, was pregnant at the time of abduction. A video released by the Taliban last year had showed the family, including two young boys.

"The success [of the operation] underscores the importance of timely intelligence sharing and Pakistan's continued commitment towards fighting this menace [of terrorism] through cooperation between two forces against a common enemy," the ISPR handout said.

Opinion

Editorial

Taliban divisions
Updated 24 Feb, 2025

Taliban divisions

The only workable solution lies in Mullah Akhundzada loosening his iron grip on the country.
Oblivious to drought
24 Feb, 2025

Oblivious to drought

PAKISTAN faces two types of drought: one caused by dry weather or lower-than-normal rainfall, and the other ...
Digital children
24 Feb, 2025

Digital children

AS most parents with young children will agree, the easiest way to pacify a bawling child is to hand them a...
The long wait
Updated 23 Feb, 2025

The long wait

Pakistan’s fundamental problem is that two of its most important leaders still cannot get over themselves.
Defending freedom
23 Feb, 2025

Defending freedom

THERE was no other choice. Despite assurances of consultations with key stakeholders, the government passed the Peca...
Anti-Muslim crimes
23 Feb, 2025

Anti-Muslim crimes

THE surge in Islamophobic assaults in the UK, as reported by the anti-hate crime charity Tell MAMA, is a stark...