Algerian missing for 26 Years found held in neighbor's home

An Algerian man who disappeared 26 years ago has been discovered in his neighbor's house, only a few minutes' walk from his family's home, according to the country's justice ministry as reported by AFP.

The man, identified only as Omar B., went missing at the age of 19 during the Algerian Civil War in 1998. His family believed he had been kidnapped or killed.

Now 45 years old, Omar was found in a hidden cellar below a hay covered floor, just 200 meters away from where he grew up in the city of Djelfa. Authorities searched the property after the brother of the alleged captor posted claims about the abduction on social media.

The alleged kidnapper, a 61-year-old doorman from the nearby town of El Guedid, was caught by authorities after trying to flee, the ministry said.

According to Algerian media, Omar said he had been unable to call for help due to "a spell that his captor had cast on him."