SAN’A, Yemen, (AP) – A Yemeni security official and a tribal leader say a Dutch couple abducted two weeks ago have been released after the government agreed to pay more than a quarter million dollars in ransom.
Armed tribesmen seized the couple from their car in the capital on March 31 and took them to a mountainous region about 40 miles (70 kilometers) to the east.
A tribal official says they were released after the government agreed to pay $325,000. He says the government also promised jobs to the kidnappers’ tribe. He refused to be identified by name out of fear of retribution.
A security official says the couple are at the Dutch ambassador’s home in the capital. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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