German hostage killed during rescue attempt in Northern Nigeria

Edgar Fritz Raupach, the German citizen who was taken hostage by radical Islamic insurgents early this year, died yesterday in a failed rescue mission undertaken by the Nigerian Special Forces.

The Nigerian armed forces spokesperson informed the media that the death occurred during a raid conducted by the security forces on a suspected Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) hideout, where the hostage was being held. According to the preliminary reports, the commandos were not aware that the hostage was present at the site, and only after the operation was over, it was confirmed that one of the dead bodies was that of the missing German.

According to the Nigerian media, the handcuffed body of Mr. Raupach was found by the security forces after the raid was over. The AQIM had previously offered to free the hostage in exchange for the release of a female Muslim prisoner, currently being held in a German prison. The security forces said that the raid lasted for less than half an hour and a total of five insurgents were killed during the shootout. Raupach was working for the Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company in the city of Kano, at the time of his abduction.

This is the second failed hostage rescue attempt occurring in Nigeria for the last three months. This March, another attempt by the armed forces to free two European hostages also resulted in the death of both of them. The dead were later identified as Chris McManus of UK and Franco Lamolinara of Italy. The duo was being held for almost a year in captivity since their kidnappings in May 2011 from the city of Birnin Kebbi. Special Forces from both the UK and Nigeria took part in the rescue attempt, which was conducted in the city of Sokoto.

The political situation in Northern Nigeria remains tense following several clashes involving the AQIM and the banned Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram against the pro-government troops. The Muslim majority region, which was previously free of kidnappings and ransom demands, has seen a sharp rise in the abductions of foreign nationals for the past 2-3 years. The situation considerably worsened after the 2009 July sectarian clashes in and around the city of Maiduguri, which killed more than 1,000 people.