The media office of Libya’s eastern-based forces, the Libyan National Army, released on Monday (August 17) a video showing Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who was kidnapped in Niger in October last year, following his release.

Reuters was not able to verify the location and date when the footage was filmed. No old versions of the video were found posted online before August 17

Authorities in eastern Libya under military commander Khalifa Haftar helped secure the release of an American missionary held hostage held by an Islamic State affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region, escorting him to freedom through Libya, five sources told Reuters on Friday .

Four of the sources said that a deal was brokered, with one saying saying a ransom was paid. However, a senior source in Haftar's forces said they had carried out a military operation in Mali to free the hostage, Rideout. Malian government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Haftar's involvement in the freeing of a U.S. hostage reflects how he has carved out a position as a major security broker in the broader Sahel region, and has used it as leverage to curry favor with the Trump administration.

The State Department declined to comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Haftar's involvement. In a social media post, Trump said the U.S. looks forward to welcoming Rideout home.

Rideout worked for the evangelical agency Serving in Mission.

Reuters reported last year that Rideout was seized by three unidentified men on his way to the airport in Niamey and taken to the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda operate.

The U.S. has made recovering Rideout one of its top priorities in the Sahel. The Trump administration lifted sanctions on top Malian government officials earlier this year in an effort to secure overflight access to the country's airspace to hunt for the pilot.

For months, officials believed Rideout may have been moved to Malian territory.

Two sources said the recent effort to secure his release from the Islamic State affiliate was led by Cherif Ould Tahar, a Malian Arab businessman with connections to regional armed groups and smuggling networks. Tahar could not immediately be reached for comment.

It was not clear what, if anything, was traded in exchange for his release. One of the sources said the Libyan side had paid a ransom, without providing further details.

However, a senior source in the Libyan National Army, Haftar's force that controls the east of Libya, which is divided between rival administrations, provided a different account of Rideout's liberation.

They said an elite LNA commando had carried out a raid into Malian territory and Rideout was flown to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

Reuters was unable to confirm the details of the LNA account.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Libyan National Army publishes video of released U.S. missionary pilot

VIDEO SHOWS: VIDEO RELEASED BY THE MEDIA OFFICE OF THE EASTERN LIBYAN FORCES (LIBYAN NATIONAL ARMY) SHOWING RELEASED U.S. MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, DISEMBARKING PLANE AND IN AMBULANCE / RIDEOUT SPEAKING

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO EDITED AT SOURCE AND CAPTIONS/TRANSLATIONS ADDED AT SOURCE

VERIFICATION:

- Reuters was not able to verify the location and date of the footage

- No old versions of the video were found posted online before August 17

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: GIVEN AS BENGHAZI, LIBYA (RELEASED AUGUST 17, 2026) (MEDIA OFFICE OF THE EASTERN LIBYAN FORCES (LIBYAN NATIONAL ARMY) - Access all) (MUTE) (EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO EDITED AT SOURCE

AND CAPTIONS ADDED AT SOURCE)

1. AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT DISEMBARKING PLANE

2. AMBULANCE

3. RIDEOUT GETTING INTO AMBULANCE

4. VARIOUS OF RIDEOUT IN AMBULANCE, TALKING WITH MEDICAL STAFF

UNKNOWN LOCATION (RELEASED AUGUST 17, 2026) (MEDIA OFFICE OF THE EASTERN LIBYAN FORCES (LIBYAN NATIONAL ARMY) - Access all) (EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO EDITED AT SOURCE AND CAPTIONS/TRANSLATIONS ADDED AT SOURCE)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, SAYING:

“My name is Kevin Rideout. I'm 49 years old, and I'm an American.”

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, SAYING:

“I was working in Niger with organisation, non-government organisation, for 20 years.”

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, SAYING:

“I was kidnapped from outside my home in Niamey, taken on the back of motorcycle, through the night, to northern Niamey, to Mali, and I was held by the Islamic State as a prisoner in Mali for 10 months.”

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, SAYING:

“To my family, I'm free. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon. I'm in good health and I look forward to seeing you very soon.”

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MISSIONARY PILOT, KEVIN RIDEOUT, SAYING:

“Thank... I want to express my gratefulness, my thanks, thank you for General Saddam Haftar and the Libyan army and special forces and everybody who is involved in securing my release and involved in arranging all the logistics for me to be released and brought to Libya safely. Thank you very much.”