Two American tourists have been kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen near the capital Sanaa, reports say. Their Yemeni driver and tourist guide were also kidnapped. The tourists' driver has reportedly made a call to the news agency AFP with the group's demands and confirmed the couple's nationality.
Yemen's powerful tribes frequently kidnap people in order to gain leverage in disputes with the weak central government. The kidnappers are demanding the release of a relative, jailed in a land dispute by the authorities. The couple were seized by armed men in the Bani Mansour district 70 kilometres (45 miles) from the capital, their driver told AFP.
Still missing
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in recent years; most are released unharmed. Two Chinese oil workers were freed this month after being kidnapped in the south east of the country. In another region, however, a German married couple, their infant son and a British man are still missing after being kidnapped almost a year ago. Last week the family's two young daughters were located in a disputed border region by the Saudi Arabian armed forces. Source: BBC News
