Al Mourabitoun, an al Qaeda-linked militant group in northern Mali, on Saturday claimed responsibility for kidnapping an Australian couple at the joint borders with Mali in January.

In an audio message, the group announced that it will release the wife without conditions, Sky News channel reported.

The kidnapping was meant to help release their detained fellow members, according to message.

"After capturing the hostages, we decided to release the woman without any conditions".

The Australian couple, in their eighties, has been running a 120-bed hospital for more than 40 years.

They were arrested on January 15 in al Qaeda attack on a hotel and restaurant in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The brutal attack left dozens, mostly foreigners, dead.

Source: MENA