Tribal gunmen kidnapped two American tourists in Yemen today and are demanding the release of a jailed tribesman for the pair, security officials said.
The US embassy in the capital, Sanaa, said it did not have any information about the kidnapping.
The security officials, a taxi driver and tribesmen all said that a man and a woman were seized while travelling in Hudayda province, west of Sana'a.
Taxi driver Mohammed Saleh, who was driving the pair, said six gunmen stopped them on the road and took them to Hamra village. Al-Sharda tribesmen said the hostages were now their "guests".
Kidnappings are endemic in Yemen and are usually carried out by tribesmen hoping to win government concessions. In the past few years, however, al-Qaida has begun kidnapping foreigners as well.
Kidnaps often take place outside the heavily guarded capital, underlining the fragility of security in rural areas.
The US and other western powers have been increasing their support to Yemen's security forces to enable them to better deal with al-Qaida. Such efforts are often frustrated by the tribal chiefs protecting the militants, the country's difficult mountainous terrain, and the anti-western sentiments shared by many Yemenis.