British woman rescued in Malawi shootout that left four suspected kidnappers dead

A British woman, Nusrat Osman, was rescued by police from suspected kidnappers in Malawi, in an operation that resulted in the deaths of four suspects and a wounded senior police officer. The 47-year-old was freed on Thursday in an incident involving gunfire outside Blantyre, the country's southern city. Police reported that the captors were armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol.

Deputy Inspector General Noel Kayira, who participated in the operation, also sustained gunshot injuries and is recovering in the hospital. Osman was reunited with her family after the rescue and taken to a hospital for medical examination, both physical and mental. Her younger brother, Shobi Jiwa, praised the Malawian police for her safe return, calling the police chief who was shot a hero for risking his life to save her.

Osman was abducted on September 11 while driving home in Blantyre’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood. She had been missing for nearly a week, prompting a large-scale search and a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha ($17,000; £12,500). Osman, who lives in Malawi and works for an auditing firm, is married with two young children. Despite the absence of ransom demands or communication from the kidnappers, her case remains puzzling to investigators.