PARIS — French forces have freed a Dutch man held hostage in Mali since 2011 by al-Qaeda’s north African arm, the French defence ministry said.Sjaak Rijke, who was kidnapped in Timbuktu in November 2011, was freed on Monday during a special operation and had been transferred "safe and sound" to a temporary base in Tessalit, north-east Mali, the French defence ministry.French forces had also killed two militants and captured two others during fighting that took place during the early morning operation, said Lieutenant Colonel Michel Sabatier, a spokesman for Barkhane, the French counter-insurgency operation in the region.Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Mr Rijke was in good condition considering the circumstances and receiving medical treatment under Dutch supervision."The liberation of Mr Rijke underscores France’s staunch determination to fight armed terrorist groups in the Sahel region as part of the Barkhane operation," the French ministry said in a statement.In November...
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