American pilot freed from ISIS affiliate’s custody thanks forces in eastern Libya for his release

Esra Tekin

An American missionary pilot thanked forces in eastern Libya and their deputy commander-in-chief Saddam Haftar on Sunday for securing his release after being held captive by an ISIS (Daesh) affiliate group operating in Mali, local media reported.

“To my family: I’m free. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon. I’m in good health … I want to express my gratefulness, my thank you to General Saddam Haftar and the Libyan army and special forces and everybody who was 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,” Kevin Rideout said in a video posted on the Libya Review’s account on the US social media platform X.

US President Donald Trump announced Friday that Rideout, who was held captive in Niger for roughly 10 months, had been returned to US custody.

“I am proud to announce that Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Rideout was kidnapped outside his home in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21, 2025, his missionary organization SIM International said in a statement.

“Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials,” it said, adding he will soon be reunited with his family.

Niger is facing escalating insecurity from terrorist groups like JNIM and ISIS, with persistent attacks, civilian casualties and displacement primarily concentrated in the western regions.