After a span of 26 years, a man from Algeria who went missing as a teenager has been discovered alive in the basement of his alleged abductor’s residence.

Omar Bin Omran left his family home in Djelfa city in 1998 to attend a vocational school and never returned. His disappearance led his family to believe that he had tragically lost his life during the civil war between the Algerian government and Islamist rebels.

Now 45 years old, Mr. Omran was rescued on Sunday from the home of his neighbor, who is suspected of holding him captive for nearly three decades. Remarkably, the neighbor’s house was located a mere 300 meters away from Mr. Omran’s own residence.

According to a statement by public prosecutors, the 61-year-old neighbor was arrested in connection with the alleged crime. The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office confirmed the rescue, stating, “The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office informs the public that on 12 May at 8 pm local time it found victim Omar B, aged 45, in the case of his neighbor, BA, aged 61.”

Footage of the rescue showed Mr. Omran, sporting a beard and wearing a sweater, being freed from the basement beneath the neighbor’s hay-covered floor.

Reports suggest that Mr. Omran’s family alerted law enforcement after the suspect’s brother hinted at his involvement in an abduction on social media.

This information prompted authorities to reopen the investigation and conduct a search of the neighbor’s premises, ultimately leading them to discover a hidden trapdoor beneath the hay.

Following his rescue, Mr. Omran was immediately taken to a medical center for necessary care. Meanwhile, the suspect will be held in custody for the “heinous crime,” as stated by the attorney general’s office.

In a disturbing development, the suspect has also been accused of killing Mr. Omran’s dog, which had been lingering around the suspect’s house for a month after the teenager’s disappearance. The lifeless body of the dog was discovered in front of Mr. Omran’s family home, according to local media reports.

Tragically, Mr. Omran’s mother, who had tirelessly searched for her son, passed away in 2013, unaware of his fate. A neighbor expressed deep sorrow, saying, “His poor mum died while he was in captivity, without knowing what had happened to him, without knowing that all this time he was really right beside her,” during an interview with Algerian broadcaster Bilad.