Netherlands PM thanks Malta, Greece as Libya frees captured Dutch navy crew

News reports from Tripoli suggest that the three Dutch Navy crew members, including a woman, were freed after intense negotiations that were led by Seif Al-Islam on the Libyan side and Greek and Maltese diplomats who were summoned to Tripoli airport to receive the Dutch crew.

Greek Junior foreign affairs minister Demetrius Dolis flew to Tripoli aboard the Greek airforce plane and returned to Athens with the released crew.

Dutch Prime minister Mark Rutte said he was delighted at the news and thanked Greece and Malta for their role in ensuring the release.

Defence minister Hans Hillen said the three, including one woman, had been properly treated but said they had nevertheless gone through a traumatic experience. ‘But soldiers are trained for these situations. The Lynx helicopter crew was very experienced.’

The three were captured on February 27 in the northern coastal city of Sirte while trying to evacuate two civilians by navy helicopter with no backup on board.

On Tuesday Dutch Defence Minister Hans Hillen told parliament that a Dutch envoy had seen the three who "are being treated well" and efforts to release them were underway

"They are in good form, they have enough to eat and drink," the minister told MPs.

"Intensive diplomatic consultations are underway for their release," he said.

On Sunday, The envoy, identified as Ed Kronenburg, the Secretary General at the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry was in Malta and held meetings on Monday morning with Maltese foreign affairs ministry permanent secretary John Paul Grech.