JUST IN: An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger has been released, U.S. officials say.
Woodke, who had been kidnapped in October 2016, was released outside of Niger, "in the Mali-Burkina" Faso area, according to a senior Biden administration official.
In a call with reporters, the official didn't say where Woodke was now, although a White House official said Woodke had been transferred to U.S. government custody.The senior official said the U.S. didn't know where Woodke had actually been held over the years, and that officials hoped to learn more from Woodke himself.
"There was no direct negotiation here between the U.S. government and a terrorist organization," the official said. "It's worth making that clear. Certainly, we did not pay a ransom or make a concession to a terrorist organization here."
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