Armed Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped an American tourist couple and their Yemeni driver Monday.
The driver called AFP on his cell phone and said they were kidnapped about 45 miles outside of the capital Sana'a, and taken to the village of Hamra.
Initially, officials said the tribesmen wanted to exchange the captives for a fellow tribesman imprisoned in Sana’a, according to AFP.
Such kidnappings are a frequent occurrence in the area and the captives are usually freed unharmed. However recently al-Qaeda-orchestrated kidnappings have lead to fatalities, according to the Associated Press, The AP also reported that a Washington official said the kidnapping of the American couple was not terror related and that the U.S. Embassy is working with Yemeni authorities to resolve the situation.
A more recent update from a branch of Israel’s Yedioth Media Group said the kidnappings may in fact be terror related.