A Japanese journalist released from captivity in Syria said he was happy to return home after living in hell for more than three years.
Jambi Yasuda, who has been held by the al-Nasra Front, the al-Qaeda arm in Syria since 2015, is expected to return home on Thursday after his release and transfer to Turkey.
The Qatari-backed Nasser Front kidnapped a number of journalists in Syria and Doha paid money to release the group, including Yasuda, sources said, indirectly in funding the organization.
Yasuda described 40 months in captivity as "hell" physically and mentally, being held in a small cell and tortured.
"I am happy to be able to return to Japan, and at the same time I do not know what is going to happen from here or what should I do," said Yasuda, who looked tired as he headed for Ankara from southern Turkey, "And added that he had difficulty speaking Japanese.
"I feel as if I have left the rest of the world and I'm not sure how to catch up," Yasuda told NHK on a flight from southern Turkey's Antakya to Istanbul.
Yasuda is known for covering the conflict areas and was held hostage in Iraq in 2004 with three other Japanese, but was later released.
He cut off contact with Yasuda in June 2015, following a conversation with another Japanese journalist in Syria. It is believed that elements of the Front of the victory followed the message to find out where.
Yasuda has been at an immigration center in Antakya, Turkey since his release on Tuesday, and Japanese officials have met him.
