Swiss nun captured by Islamist militants - for the second time

A Swiss nun who was abducted in 2012 has appeared in a hostage video released by al-Qaeda after she was kidnapped again by Islamists.

Beatrice Stockly was captured by armed jihadists, who climbed the walls of her home in Timbuktu, Mali, earlier this month.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) released a video of Ms Stockly dressed in a hijab, in front of an al-Qaeda banner.

She explains the conditions which would see her released, which include the freeing of Islamist extremist Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, who is in custody at the International Criminal Court.

They also call for the release of AQIM members who are imprisoned by the Malian government.

In the video, an English-speaking militant says the nun was abducted for teaching Christianity.

He says: "We, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Sahara region, declare our responsibility for the kidnapping of this Christianising kaffir Beatrice Stockly, who by her work, drove out many from the fold of Islam by seducing them with crumbs of this worldly life."

Speaking after Ms Stockly was abducted from her home on 8 January, Bilal Mahamane Traore, a town councillor in Timbuktu, said: "People were sleeping but neighbours heard the noise - the woman screamed a lot.

"Not a single neighbour, though, called security forces."

Ms Stockly was first kidnapped in April 2012, but returned to missionary work after being released two weeks later.

She remained in Timbuktu when the town fell to extremists linked to al-Qaeda and was abducted and passed to the militant group Ansar Dine.

She was freed by helicopter 10 days later in a pre-arranged hand over between Burkina Faso and the rebels.

At the time, she was accused of proselytising for Christianity and warned she would be executed if she returned to Timbuktu.