Failed attempt to kidnap Qatar's ambassador to Yemen

Qatar's Ambassador to Yemen, Mohamed bin Hamad al-Khalifa, has escaped a kidnapping attempt in Sanaa, according to Yemeni police.

"Three armed men in an all-terrain vehicle tried to bar the way of the Qatari ambassador, while he was in his car with his driver" on Wednesday, a security official said. "One of the armed men signaled with his weapon for the driver of the diplomatic car to stop, but the driver sped up and arrived at the Sanaa embassy after a lengthy chase," the official said, adding that it had been a kidnapping attempt.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani discussed the matter by telephone with his Yemeni counterpart, Abdulkarim al-Iriyani.

Iriyani told H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim that, "The criminals who blocked the Qatari ambassador's route will be pursued by the Yemeni authorities."

An Arab diplomat in the Gulf said the abduction attempt was linked to Sanaa's decision to participate in the controversial Mena economic conference in Doha, which will be attended by Israel.