Two men who say theyre Russian appear in hostage video from Niger released by al-Qaida-linked group

DAKAR, Senegal — Two men claiming to be Russian nationals and saying they were taken captive in Niger by militants linked to al-Qaida appeared in a video published on a media platform affiliated with the extremist group.

The video, which appeared on the az-Zallaqa platform on Friday night, showed two men who said they were seized by the militants while working in Baga in northeastern Niger.

The men, seated side by side and dressed in traditional local clothing, spoke to the camera. One identified himself as Yury, saying he was a geologist and was working for a Russian company when he was arrested by JNIM, the al-Qaida-affiliated group in the region. The other man said his name, which was harder to make out, and said he’d been in Niger for a month.

The AP cannot independently verify the video or the date it was filmed. The men, who spoke in …