(Newser)
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Saudi Arabia special forces have rescued two young German girls who were held by Yemeni rebels for almost a year. Anna and Lydia Hentschel, aged 3 and 5, are being treated in a Saudi hospital. The fate of their Christian missionary parents and baby brother, who were seized along with the girls and 4 other foreigners last year, is unknown, the Guardian reports.
No group ever claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but the Saudis, who say they acted after receiving a tip that the girls were being held near the border, believe it was the work of al-Qaeda-linked rebels in northern Yemen. The girls are expected to return to Germany today, where they will live with their grandparents. "Considering the circumstances, they are doing well," said Germany's foreign minister.
