SA tourists kidnapped in Yemen

Shadows of tribesmen loyal to the al-Houthi Shi'ite rebel group are cast on the ground as they perform the traditional Baraa dance at the conclusion of a two-day tribal gathering in the northwestern Yemeni province of Saada, on the border with Saudi Arabia July 12, 2012. The mountainous province of Saada is the stronghold of the Shi'ite rebels, known as the Houthis after the clan of their leaders, who had fought government forces for years until an uprising against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh last year gave them a free hand in the lawless frontier province. Trying to counter the threat of al Qaeda, Washington is deepening its involvement in Yemen, using drone strikes to target suspected militants and training the Yemeni army to fight them. The tribal gathering was held to denounce what they say is a U.S. interference in Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Shadows of tribesmen loyal to the al-Houthi Shi'ite rebel group are cast on the ground as they perform the traditional Baraa dance at the conclusion of a two-day tribal gathering in the northwestern Yemeni province of Saada, on the border with Saudi Arabia July 12, 2012. The mountainous province of Saada is the stronghold of the Shi'ite rebels, known as the Houthis after the clan of their leaders, who had fought government forces for years until an uprising against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh last year gave them a free hand in the lawless frontier province. Trying to counter the threat of al Qaeda, Washington is deepening its involvement in Yemen, using drone strikes to target suspected militants and training the Yemeni army to fight them. The tribal gathering was held to denounce what they say is a U.S. interference in Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Published May 27, 2013

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Sanaa - Gunmen kidnapped two foreign tourists believed to be South Africans from the central Yemeni city of Taiz on Monday, a security official said.

 The captives, a man and a woman, were seized while they were outside a hotel in the eastern part of the city, the official said, requesting anonymity.

The unidentified kidnappers took their captives to an unknown destination, the official said.

Although kidnappings of foreigners in Yemen are frequent, Taiz - one of the country's major cities - has not been the scene of hostage-taking.

Hundreds of people have been abducted in Yemen over the past 15 years, almost all of who have been freed unharmed.

Most kidnappings of foreigners are carried out by members of Yemen's powerful tribes who use them as bargaining chips in disputes with the central government.

Earlier this month, tribesmen in south Yemen freed three employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross, including a Swiss citizen and a Kenyan along with two Egyptian hostages.

The men who were held for few days, were released following tribal mediations. - Sapa-AFP

 

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