Rebels seize 9 foreigners in Yemen - CNN.com

Rebels seize 9 foreigners in Yemen - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Nine foreigners, including three children, were kidnapped by Shiite rebels in northern Yemen, the state-run news agency reported Sunday.



Seven Germans, a Briton and a South Korean were seized by Houthi rebels in the volatile province of Saada, state-run SABA said. The foreigners were working at a hospital in the region.

Houthi rebels are Shiite militants who have been fighting the government for years. The militants are hoping to derail the peace and reconstruction process in Saada, which has been rocked by war in the past year, according to the news agency.

The abduction comes after the release of 24 medical workers kidnapped by armed tribesmen in Amran province.

The tribesmen stopped a bus Thursday and seized the medical workers, who were from India, Egypt, Philippines and Sudan, SABA said.

After the kidnapping, the captors demanded the release of tribesmen arrested in connection with a war between troops and the Houthi rebels last year, according to the news agency.

The hostages were released unharmed, the news agency said.