Yemen: Two German hostages freed

Yemeni security sources said on Sunday that tribal groups in Yart district of al-Jouf province, 174 km north of the capital, Sanaa, released two German hostages, a woman and her son, who were kidnapped at the end of last month, together with a third woman whom the kidnappers released earlier this week.

The Yemeni sources said the release of the two hostages was made at the tribal mediation of Sheikh Amin al-Okeimi, who is one of al-Jouf's chief sheikh and a member of the Yemeni coalition Yemeni Grouping for Reform (Islaah), who negotiated with the kidnappers at the request of the Yemeni authorities.

Tribal sources in al-Jouf province told the London-based al-Hayat daily on Sunday that the mediators gave guarantees to the kidnappers that they would settle problems of the region as demanded by the kidnappers, under the condition of freeing the two hostages peacefully.