– Three Sri Lankan nationals who had been held hostage by an organized criminal gang in Ethiopia have been rescued, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The Ministry said the three individuals were released following a joint operation conducted by Sri Lankan and Ethiopian authorities. Arrangements are currently being made to repatriate them to Sri Lanka.

According to the Ministry, the victims, who are residents of Jaffna, had travelled through Ethiopia while attempting to reach Canada through illegal migration channels. The three had reportedly informed their relatives that they were being held captive by a criminal gang in Ethiopia, which had demanded a ransom in exchange for their release.