The Wall Street Journal: Freed hostage says Taliban killed his daughter

OTTAWA—A former hostage rescued this week along with his American wife and three children by Pakistan forces said Friday night that his captors killed his infant daughter and raped his wife during their five years in captivity.

Joshua Boyle, a Canadian, Caitlan Coleman and their three children landed at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, days after the Pakistan army carried out an operation that secured their release from the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Speaking briefly to reporters at the Toronto airport, he offered insight for the first time as to why, in 2012, he and his then-pregnant wife were hiking in Afghanistan at the time of their capture. He also made new allegations against their captors. His wife didn’t appear or speak to journalists.

Boyle said the Haqqani network killed his infant daughter, Margaret Boyle, for his refusal to heed unspecified requests, without elaborating. He also said his captors raped his wife. The events happened in 2014, he said, adding that authorities in Afghanistan carried out an investigation last year and “conceded” that they had occurred. The birth of the fourth child wasn’t publicly known until Boyle revealed it Friday.

The Journal couldn’t immediately and independently verify the claims.

Read an expanded version of this article on WSJ.com.

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