I wonder about the story itself.  There have been negotiations on her release for some time, and recently there were reports it was about to happen.  Clear to me that the rebels knew her value as a hostage was over.  I expect that they actually turned her over in some way (going out on a limb) and the rest of the story is Spin.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin