Woman freed 4 months after abduction in Afghanistan

The Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop also confirmed today that Wilson has been freed.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop released a statement saying that Kerry Wilson, 60, was “safe and well” and expressing appreciation for “authorities in Afghanistan whose support and assistance facilitated her release” and Australian consular staff, local media reported.

Kerry Jane Wilson was abducted on 28 April in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, where she was working for Zardozi, a small Afghan non-governmental organisation.

“As a result of our efforts, she has been safely released”.

An Indian aid worker was released in July weeks after she was kidnapped at gunpoint near her home in the Afghan capital, Kabul. “Her family has asked for privacy”, Ms Bishop said.

Prior to her abduction, Wilson has worked for over 20 years in the Middle East with charities related to women’s rights and water security.

According to NDS several people have been arrested during the operation in connection to the hostage taking of the aid worker and an investigation is underway regarding the case. She was kidnapped by gunmen from the house she was staying in.

In a statement released this afternoon, Ms Bishop said Kerry Jane Wilson had been released and was “safe and well”.

Earlier this month, an Australian academic and an American professor were kidnapped by unidentified armed men in Kabul.

The abductions underscore the growing dangers faced by foreigners in Afghanistan, plagued by Taliban and other militant groups.