WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s foreign minister confirmed Monday that a New Zealand nurse has been held captive by the Islamic State group in Syria for almost six years, information long kept secret for fear her life might be at risk. The collapse of the Islamic State group has raised hopes that Akavi and the two Syrian drivers kidnapped with her might now be discovered. In a statement, the ICRC said that as recently as December, Akavi may have been seen by at least two people at a clinic in Sousa, one of the Islamic State group’s last outposts. “We continue to work together (with the Red Cross) to locate and recover her,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. Peters said New Zealand had sent a small multi-agency team, including special forces, to Iraq to gather information on Akavi.

Source: National Post April 15, 2019 15:00 UTC