After 26 years, Omar Bin Omran was reunited with his family, who thought he had died during Algeria's civil war. Omran was reported missing in 1998 after he vanished on his way to school. After a massive search came up empty, his family assumed he was killed during the bloody war between the government and Islamist rebel groups.
However, Omran was alive the whole time, being held captive by his neighbor just 200 yards from his home.
Omran's family realized he might be alive after their neighbor's brother suggested he might have been involved in kidnapping Omran in a social media post.
When officers searched the man's home, they found Omran living in a sheep pen in his basement. He was taken to the hospital, where he will receive medical and psychological treatment.
The homeowner was described as a 61-year-old civil servant who lived alone. Officials did not say why he kidnapped Omran and kept him captive for so long.
When asked why he didn't call for help, Omran said that his captor placed a spell on him.
Officials vowed that the "perpetrator of this heinous crime" will be tried with "severity."