Yemen hostage freed
Yemeni pro-government forces, loyal to exiled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, raise their weapons as they gather in the area of the Al-Anad airbase in the southern Lahj governorate, some 50 kilometres north of the Red Sea port of Aden, on August 5, 2015. A British hostage was reportedly freed from captivity in the country by forces from the UAE. AFP/Getty Images

A British hostage has been rescued by United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces in the war-torn state of Yemen, according to Britain's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The hostage, who has not yet been identified, is believed to have been seized by al Qaeda in Feb. 2014. According to the UAE news agency WAM he was extracted after a military intelligence operation in the port city of Aden, which was liberated by Saudi-backed forces after months of fighting in July.

Speaking from the Iranian capital, Tehran, U.K. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: "The British national is safe and well, and is receiving support from British government officials. We are very grateful for the assistance of the UAE."

For the last four years Yemen has been torn apart by a bloody conflict between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was forced out in February this year after 33 years in control of the country. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has carried out a series of attacks from its strongholds in the south of the country.

In recent months, several other hostages have been captured in Yemen, including British-born Luke Somers, who was shot by his captors as U.S. special forces attempted to rescue him last December. However most hostages in the country are released unharmed.

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United arab emirates United kingdom Al-Qaeda Terrorism