Paris: A French intelligence agent who was taken hostage in Somalia three years ago is still alive, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said. According to Xinhua, the minister said in an interview to local broadcaster Europe 1 that there were new "proofs" and "news" that showed the agent of France`s General Directorate for External Security, who was identified as Denis Allex, was alive.
Abducted in 2009 by the Al-Shabab outfit in Mogadishu, Allex was accused of helping train Somalia`s police and presidential guards. At least six French nationals are still being held hostage by Islamist groups in Somalia`s Sahel region.
IANS