(USA TODAY) -- Two Americans are among six hostages freed in Yemen after months in captivity and one of those men has ties to Atlanta.
Scott Darden - and another American - were greeted by U.S. Ambassadors when they touched down in the neighboring country of Oman, Sunday night.
Darden attended Georgia State University but lives in Dubai now.
He was captured by Houthi Rebels back in March.
He was working for a New Orleans-based company called Transoceanic Development at the time of his capture.
"We welcome the release of two U.S. citizens who had been detained in Yemen since earlier this year," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price. "As we have informed their families, these individuals departed Yemen today and have since arrived in Oman."
Transoceanic CEO Gregory Rusovich thanked U.S. and Omani officials for their efforts to get Darden released.
"We cannot begin to express the sense of joy and relief we feel with Scott's release," Rusovich said in a statement. "Our top priority is the safety and welfare of all our employees - and again very grateful for Scott's return. Lastly, we would like to take this opportunity to wish the Sultanate of Oman, and the people of Yemen who are facing so much hardship at this time, Eid Mubarak."
Price also expressed gratitude to Omani officials.
"We are deeply appreciative of all who were involved in producing this outcome, including in particular the government of Oman under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said," Price said in a statement.
The Americans, along with two Saudis and a Briton who reportedly also were released, had been held by the Shiite Houthi rebels in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The Sultan of Oman helped arrange the release, according to mulitple media reports.
The Washington Post, however, said the release of a third American, a convert to Islam, was being delayed for undisclosed reasons.
The freed hostages reportedly flew to Oman with Houthi representatives bound for talks in Muscat with the UN envoy to Yemen. Houthi officials had given no reason for taking the hostages, but said at least one of them is a journalist who "entered the country illegally" and "worked without notifying the authorities," the Associated Press reported.
