SANA’A: Yemen said yesterday that it had arrested a militant cell that had been planning to kidnap the United Arab Emirates’ charge d’affaires, after a string of abductions that have targeted Westerners and diplomats in the country.
Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammed Al Qaidy said security forces arrested the six members of what it called a terrorist cell a month ago, and found weapons, fake passports and fake Yemeni currency in their possession.
“The gang members confessed that they were going to receive a reward of 5m riyals ($1.33m) and a four-wheel drive car if they managed to kidnap the UAE’s charge d’affaires,” Qaidy said. It was not clear who had promised the ransom.
Qaidy said security forces also arrested another three-person cell that had made threats against the Saudi embassy. A Saudi diplomat taken hostage in the southern port city of Aden in 2012 is still missing.
Reuters
