Investigations continue in Yemen on kidnapping of Western tourists

An official in the Yemeni police said on Wednesday that persons carrying British and Pakistani passports are among the ten persons who are being questioned by the Yemeni authorities within the framework of investigations over a kidnapping of Western tourists which ended on December 29, 1998.

The Yemeni official, who asked not to be identified, said that the British consul in Aden, David Purse, was told that there are suspected persons who carry British and Pakistani passports and that investigations continue to make sure that the passports are not fake.

Purse said that five of the ten persons were arrested on December 23, before the kidnapping of the 16 western tourists on December 28. He added those persons were planning to launch attacks against targets in Yemen, against the British Consulate, Mufinbeck Hotel where tourists usually stay, as well as the Church of Aden.

Purse continued that three of the Yemeni kidnappers who are under investigation were in London several days before the kidnapping operations.

Teams of investigators from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and from Scotland Yard are taking part in the investigations of the killing of three British citizens and one Australian during the process of releasing the hostages.

There are still three kidnappers who fled, whereas another three were killed during the attack carried out by the Yemeni police to free the hostages.