SANA'A: Security officials in the southern province of Lahj said on Tuesday that two foreign nationals had been kidnapped by several gunmen along with their Yemeni driver. The trio was working for the Red Cross in the region. “A French woman of Moroccan origin was kidnapped along with another foreigner and their Yemeni driver in the town of Msaimeer,” around 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Huta, the capital of Lahij, the official said. The kidnappers are allegedly wanted by the Yemeni government in connection to others crimes, and are believed to be planning to exert pressure on the authorities by exchanging the Red Cross workers for one of their associates. “The kidnappers want to press for the release one of their men, held by Yemeni authorities on criminal charges,” the official said. This is the second time this year that French nationals are being used as bargaining chips for the release of government prisoners. Security analysts worry that further instability in the region will lead to more attacks against foreigners posing serious risks for international organizations and companies in Yemen. BM
