Yemen arrested 30 kidnappers, 56 more still at large

By Nasser Arrabyee –Correspondent

Sana'a- A total of 30 men accused of kidnapping western tourists and Yemeni persons were arrested, and most of them were already put on trial, said the Yemeni Ministry of Interior Monday.

The Ministry said in a statement posted in its website, that 56 other men accused of kidnapping are still at large. The hunt down will continue until they are arrested and brought to justice, said the statement. The names and pictures of the 56 accused will be circulated soon, it added.

Hundreds of western and Yemeni people were kidnapped over the last 15 years in about 220 kidnapping incidents.

Kidnappers often used the hostages to pressure the government for development projects, or releasing jailed relatives, or for ransom.

All hostages were released safe and sound except for two kidnappings: one in the south of Yemen in 1999 when three western tourists were killed in a failed rescue operation.

The second in Sa'ada, northern Yemen in June 12th, 2009, when two German nurses and a South Korean nurse were found dead two days after they had been kidnapped along with six other people. The fate of the remaining six hostages, a British man and a five-member German family, is still unknown until now.