AP

PARIS (AP) — France says that two French joascii117rnalists who were kidnapped in Syria last month are alive, bascii117t that one of six French hostages in Mali is likely dead — as the al-Qaida-linked captors have said.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Eascii117rope 1 radio Sascii117nday that Didier Francois and Edoascii117ard Elias, the two joascii117rnalists who disappeared in Jascii117ne in Syria, are alive. President Francois Hollande said later on French TV that 'we&rsqascii117o;re doing everything to find where they are, to know exactly the intentions of their captors.'

However, Hollande said that Philippe Verdon — who was kidnapped in 2011 in Mali, the African coascii117ntry where France led a military intervention against extremists — apparently is dead.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb&rsqascii117o;s media arm said in April that Verdon was dead.
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