SANAA: A German couple and their daughter have been kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen and are being held in a mountainous area of the impoverished Arab country, officials said on Monday.

The three were seized on Sunday in the Bayda area southeast of Sanaa and taken to Bani Dhabyan, which lies south of the capital and is difficult to access, a security official said on condition of anonymity.

A western diplomat said the hostages were a German couple and their daughter, who works in Yemen for a German development group. A tribal source said the three were kidnapped by tribesmen, who have frequently used foreign hostages as bargaining chips in disputes with the government.

“They are in a safe place and in best health conditions, and they are being treated as guests. Their capture was only to pressure the authorities,” a source from the Bani Dhabyan tribe which is close to the kidnappers said.

He said one of the kidnappers was demanding the release of his brother and son, who were arrested four months ago over a land dispute and were being held without trial.—AFP