Oman says US man detained in rebel-held Yemeni capital freed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Oman says a U.S. man detained in Yemen's rebel-held capital has been freed.

In a statement posted online late Friday, Oman's Foreign Ministry said it helped coordinate "the release of an American citizen in Yemen" on behalf of the U.S. on the orders of the country's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It said it contacted authorities in Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, to free the man, who was flown from Sanaa to the Omani capital, Muscat.

The short statement did not identify the man released. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Muscat did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said U.S. diplomats were aware of the report of an American freed, but declined to comment due to privacy concerns.