Yemeni governor says kidnappers have released 2 Chinese oil engineers

Yemen: kidnapped Chinese oil engineers released

SAN’A, Yemen — After several days of mediation, kidnappers have released two Chinese engineers working in Yemen, a provincial governor said Tuesday.

Ali Hassan al-Ahmadi, the governor of Shabwa province where the kidnapping took place, told The Associated Press by telephone that mediators had reached an agreement with the kidnappers and the engineers were on their way back to the provincial capital of Attaq.

He did not elaborate on the conditions for the release.

The Chinese were working for an oil firm operating in Shabwa province, south of the capital San’a. Tribesmen took the men hostage Sunday apparently to protest the Yemeni government’s failure to take action against policemen who recently wounded a tribesman at a checkpoint.

Most kidnappings of foreigners in Yemen are by disgruntled tribesmen hoping to wrangle concessions from the government — including ransoms, the release of jailed relatives, or even promises to build local infrastructure.

Some kidnappings, however, are performed by groups linked to al-Qaida and often result in the hostages dying.

Saudi forces on Tuesday freed two German children kidnapped with their family almost a year ago, mostly likely by al-Qaida. Three other women from the group have been found dead and the parents and their son remain unaccounted for.