Suspected al-Qaida militants have abducted five UN workers in southern Yemen, Yemeni officials said on Saturday.
The officials said the workers were abducted in the southern province of Abyan late on Friday and taken to an unknown location. They include four Yemenis and a foreigner, they said.
Russell Geekie, a spokesperson for the top UN official in Yemen, said: “The United Nations is in close contact with the authorities to secure their release.”
Tribal leaders said they were negotiating with the abductors to secure the workers’ release. They said the abductors demanded a ransom and the release of some militants imprisoned by the internationally recognised government.
