Kidnapped Spanish aid worker released

A senior Palestinian security source assured that the Spanish citizen that was abducted earlier by unknown Palestinian gunmen was freed on Monday evening.

The source told Xinhua that after being held for seven hours, the Spanish citizen aid worker Roberto Villa Sexto, 32, that was abducted by unknown militants in central Gaza Strip "was freed unharmed and there are preparations to get him out of Gaza Strip."

No one had claimed responsibility for the abduction of the Spanish citizen who works for a humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian police reported on Monday afternoon that unknown masked militants abducted a Spanish citizen who works for a non-government organization called "cooperation for peace" in central Gaza.

The police said that unknown masked militants obstructed a local car that drove on Sallah el-Dein road near the city of Deir el-Ballah in central Gaza Strip.

The Spanish citizen was into the car together with his French female colleague and a driver, said the police.

Eyewitnesses said that the militants forced the Spanish citizen to get out of the car and forced him to get into their yellow SKODA car and drove away to an area in southern Gaza Strip leaving the French woman and the driver.

It is the second abduction of foreigners within this week that happens in the Gaza Strip. A Spanish photographer, who works for the Associated Press was abducted last week by militants, but he was freed after a few hours abduction.

Source: Xinhua