The leader of the Islamist group involved in the abduction of the Algerian consular officer in the Malian town of Gao, and six of his colleagues said they will release the diplomats, The Voice of Russia quoted the AFP as reporting.
"We gave our consent to the release of the seven people who were detained from the Algerian Consulate in Gao," said the representative of the Islamist group "Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad".
However, he did not specify when and where the diplomats would be freed.