Six more foreigners kidnapped in Yemen

Four Dutch and two British citizens were kidnapped in Yemen on Sunday on the road between Saadah and Sanaa. The Dutch citizens are a family with two children, and the British citizens a are a man and his wife.

Well-informed sources in Yemen expressed their belief that the kidnappers are tribesmen in al-Houran district of Omran province, where the "Hashed" tribe is very influential.

This province, is the electoral department for Hamid al-Ahmar, son of Sheikh Abdullah al Ahmar, who started on Sunday night vast contacts with the tribesmen laern the fate of those who were kidnapped.

Yemeni security sources said they want to learn where the six hostages were taken, expecting that the issue pertains to tribal demands and has no relevance to "political kidnapping."

Last month, a group from the Yemeni "Islamic Jihad" arrested 16 tourists, including 12 British citizens. Four tourists were killed on December 29, 1998 during an operation carried out by the security forces aimed at releasing them. As a consequence London recommended that its citizens not visit Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Foreign Ministry noted the kidnapping of four of its citizens but did not give information about the reason for the kidnapping or the identity of the kidnappers.

In London, the spokesman for the British Foreign Ministry highlighted the kidnapping news.