10 Europeans Kidnapped

Tribesmen abducted 10 European tourists on 14 August in two unconnected incidents in the north and south of the country.

Security implications

The two incidents point to an upsurge in kidnapping and underline earlier warnings to avoid travel to remote areas wherever possible. In the first incident, tribesmen took six Europeans, believed to be Italian or German nationals, as they travelled through Shabwa province on the road to al-Mukalla. The area is largely uninhabited and has been the scene of kidnappings in the past. In the second kidnapping, tribesmen abducted four Italian tourists near Khamir, in Sanaa Province. The town is controlled by local tribes and central government exerts little authority and can offer little security to travellers. The two kidnappings came less than a week after an Italian tourist was held for five days in al-Baydha Province and less than a month after tribesmen held two other European tribesmen near Kholan.