Sana’a Gunmen kidnapped Saudi Arabia’s deputy consul from outside his residence in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Wednesday, a Yemeni security official said.
Local journalists speaking to Gulf News say its the second time Abdullah Al Khalidi was kidnapped — the first a few months ago in which he was robbed and released.
The incident sheds light to the deterioting security situation in southern Yemen by Al Qaida-linked groups and common thugs.
The journalists also expressed concern that the incidents were orchestrated by groups loyal to the former regime to undermine government efforts to stabilide the security situation in the South, especially after the announcement of appointing a security chief for Aden to begin after one month.
The gunmen snatched Abdallah Al Khalidi as he was about to get into his car and they sped off with him in another vehicle, police in the city’s Mansoura district said.
A Saudi foreign ministry spokesman confirmed the kidnapping, saying: “It happened this morning. The embassy already contacted the highest security authority in Yemen. They are investigating and trying to find out the reason”.
A string of security officials have been assassinated in recent months in southern Yemen, where an Islamist group linked to al Qaeda has seized territory and claimed responsibility for attacks on Yemeni troops and a U.S. security team last month.
Kidnapping common in Yemen
Kidnapping is common in Yemen, frequently in the context of regional or tribal disputes with Yemeni authorities. The victims are sometimes held for ransom, particularly if they are foreigners.
