Boy missing for 27 years rescued from secret well under neighbour’s farm

ALGERIA – A boy who vanished aged 17 has been rescued almost 30 years later from underneath his neighbour’s home following an alleged kidnapping.

The victim, Omar Bin Omran, disappeared in Djelfa, Algeria, 27 years ago and his family assumed he had died during the civil war between the North African country’s government and various Islamist rebel groups. Viral footage of Omar, now in his 40s, captures the moment he is brought out of his hiding place after being discovered by cops who raided a house near his old family home.

Officials confirmed a 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of holding him prisoner. Public prosecutors in Djelfa, a mountain town with a population of just under 500,000 people and a three-hour drive south of the capital Algiers, said in a statement: “The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office informs the public that on May 12 at 8pm local time it found victim Omar B, aged 45, in the case of his neighbour, B.A., aged 61.”