WORLD BRIEFING / YEMEN
A Dutch couple held for two weeks by Yemeni tribesmen were freed, and a tribal leader said Yemen’s government paid more than $250,000 in ransom.
The government denied paying the money or meeting any demands and said it was searching for the kidnappers among the Serag tribe in a mountainous region east of Sana, the capital.
Tribesmen armed with assault rifles seized the couple from their car in Sana on March 31 and took them to an area about 40 miles to the east.
Powerful tribes in the impoverished country have used the abductions of foreigners -- either tourists or those living or working in the country -- to pressure the Yemeni government to meet demands, often to free clan members from jail.
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