Al-Qaeda captive freed by Turkish teams back in Japan

By Adem Salvarcioglu

ANKARA (AA) – A Japanese journalist freed by Turkish teams after three years in terrorist captivity in Syria is now back home in Japan, said local media reports on Thursday.

According to NHK World, Jumpei Yasuda, 44, arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on Thursday evening and was reunited with his family and friends.

He was rescued from his al-Qaeda captors by Turkish security and intelligence teams in consultations with Japanese authorities and brought to the southern Turkish province of Hatay on Tuesday.

Speaking to NHK en route to Istanbul, he expressed his joy at being free but described his detention in Syria as hellish, physically and psychologically.

Yasuda also expressed anxiety about the future, saying he has no idea what will do as he is out of touch with the world.

After being taken hostage in 2015, he was reportedly kept in a tiny cell and tortured and not allowed to take a bath for eight months.

Japanese broadcaster TBS quoted him as saying: “I was living in endless fear that I might never get out or could even be killed.”