German tourists released in Yemen

Spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry has announced that the four German tourists who have been held since December 6 as hostages in Yemen were released. He added that his ministry will seek to return the hostages, three women and one man, back home to Germany. The spokesman did not give more details.

Earlier, German President Roman Herzog sent a message to his Yemeni counterpart, Abdullah Ali Saleh, asking him to release the hostages but without violence. On Friday Bonn called upon the kidnappers to release the tourists immediately and unconditionally.