Gulf | Yemen
Two Colombian oil experts among four abducted in Yemen
Two Colombian oil experts, along with two Yemenis, were kidnapped yesterday in the Shabwa province, east of Yemen, local sources said.
- By Nasser Arrabyee, Correspondent
- Published: 23:42 September 19, 2008
Sana'a: Two Colombian oil experts, along with two Yemenis, were kidnapped yesterday in the Shabwa province, east of Yemen, local sources said.
The demands of the kidnappers were not known.
The hostages were identified as Hector Marin, Rafael Abala, Basheer Al Sulwi, the driver, and Abdul Azeez Abdul Gani.
The two Colombian oil experts, working with the Yemeni Liquefied Natural Gas Company, were kidnapped this morning while they were on their way to the pipelines, in Balhaf, Shabwa, the sources added.
Primary investigations revealed the kidnappers were from the Ba Kazem tribe in Shabwa province, sources said.
The kidnappers drove off in the car of the kidnapped experts, leaving their car at the spot where the kidnapping occurred.
Identification documents found in the kidnappers' car showed that the vehicle belonged to one Abod Omar Ahmad Bajanf. Two identity cards were also found in the car, bearing the names of Mahadi Salem Al Ashram and Ahmad Ali Al Ashram, sources added.
Yemen has witnessed about 134 kidnappings, which included about 325 Europeans and 25 Americans, between 1990 and 2005, according to a local statistics.
Around 80 per cent of these abductions took place in the provinces of Sana'a, Amran, Mareb, Sa'ada and Shabwa.
Kidnapping is punishable by death according to a recent Yemeni law.
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