Four Belgians kidnapped in Yemen on Thursday, released

In a peaceful operation, the four Belgian tourists who were kidnapped last Thursday by armed men from Yemen's Bakeil tribe were freed on Sunday. The four tourists were, upon being kidnapped, taken to Barat district, 180 km northeast of Sanaa.

The Yemeni authorities asked the tribe's chiefs to contact the kidnappers to know about their demands and to urge them to "promptly," release the four Belgians.

A spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the kidnappers did not seek a ransom, but they rather wanted to pressure the authorities to intervene in a dispute between two families.