Tourist kidnapping in Yemen:Three of the five kidnapped Italians released [Archives:2006/908/Front Page]

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January 2 2006

MARIB, Jan. 1 ) As if in response to the president's warning to fight kidnapping of foreigners in the country, Al-Zaidi tribes from Marib kidnapped five Italians around seven PM last night. The five Italian tourists were three women and two men. Just a couple of hours after the kidnapping the tribal people released the women tourists and withheld the two Italian men in abduction. The kidnapping took place just hours after the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh pledged to fight foreign hostage taking in his tribal nation and ordered security forces to arrest the Germans' kidnappers.

The Italians, were seized in the northern province of Ma`rib, in Sirwah approximately 170km east of the capital, Sanaa.

Security officials said that they have not known the identities or any other details on the kidnapped tourists. The kidnappers who belonged to the al-Zaydi tribe wanted the government to release eight tribal members detained in connection with disputes with another tribe, police and tribal officials said.
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