SANAA – Armed tribesmen kidnapped two US tourists and their Yemeni driver on Monday in Bani Mansour, 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, the driver and a tribal source said.
“They are calling for the release of a fellow tribesman held by authorities in Sanaa,” the captured driver, Ali al-Arashi, said in a telephone call.
The captives are being well-treated, he added.
The couple were snatched in the Bani Mansour area, near the mountain town of Hajara, a tourist destination known for its historic buildings.
From there, they were driven to Hamra village, the driver said.
“The US embassy is working to verify the report in liaison with local security authorities,” a spokesman said.
Yemen’s powerful tribes often kidnap foreigners for use as bargaining chips in disputes with the central government. Of about 200 foreigners seized in Yemen over the past decade, almost all have been released unharmed.
Two Chinese oil workers abducted by tribesmen in eastern Yemen were released on May 18 after two days in captivity.
Source: Middle East Online