Dutch couple released by kidnappers in Yemen after gov't agrees to pay ransom

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A Dutch couple abducted two weeks ago have been released after the government agreed to pay more than a quarter million dollars in ransom, a Yemeni security official and a tribal leader said Tuesday. Armed tribesmen seized the couple from their car in the capital on March 31 and took them to a mountainous region about 40 miles (70 kilometers) to the east. A tribal official said they were released after the government agreed to pay $325,000. He said the government also promised jobs to the kidnappers' tribe. He refused to be identified by name out of fear of retribution. A security official said the couple were at the Dutch ambassador's home in the capital. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.