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| Arabia |
| Yemen: Police arrest over 100 in German hostage standoff |
| 2008-12-17 |
| (AKI) - Yemeni police have arrested at least 100 tribesmen believed to be linked to the abduction of three Germans in a remote area 130 km south of the capital, Sanaa, according to unnamed tribal sources. All those arrested reportedly belong to the powerful Banu Dhabian tribe of the kidnappers and the move is intended to pressure them to release the German hostages who were abducted on Sunday. Earlier on Tuesday security forces surrounded the mountain hideout east of Sanaa where the kidnappers are believed to be holding a female employee of the German Technical Cooperation agency GTZ and her parents. The captives are in good health, according to the German embassy in Sanaa. It said the Yemeni government has assured it no force will be used to free the hostages. The kidnappers have demanded the release of two close male relatives who have been jailed for abducting five Yemeni engineers and holding them captive for six months last year, Yemeni Interior Ministry officials said. The kidnappers have also asked for 200,000 dollars, according to the ministry. |
| Posted by:Fred |