South African tourists kidnapped

Gunmen in the Central Yemeni city Taiz kidnapped two South African tourists on Monday.

Gunmen in the Central Yemeni city Taiz kidnapped two South African tourists on Monday.

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.

It was the latest attack targeting foreigners in the impoverished Arab state, where the government is struggling to restore law and order since a power transfer deal in late 2011 saw former President Ali Abdullah Saleh hand over to his deputy following months of pro-democracy protests.

The source said the gunmen seized the man and woman believed to be in their 30s in Yemen’s commercial hub to the south of the capital Sanaa, and led them to an unknown location.

โ€œPolice are trying to determine the identity of the kidnappers and where they have taken their captives,โ€ the source said.

The source added that the kidnappers had apparently mistaken the South African pair for Europeans or Americans but gave no further details on what they were doing in Yemen.

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.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...