Nine foreigners kidnapped

Uncertainty persists about the status of six of nine foreigners who were kidnapped on 12 June in the northwestern province of Saada. On 15 June the bodies of three female aid workers (two Germans and a South Korean) were found in the area. Although earlier reports stated that seven bodies had been found, Yemeni security forces continue to search for the remaining six hostages, which include a British national and a German family of five. Authorities have yet to identify the kidnappers. Militants affiliated with al-Qaeda are considered the likeliest suspects, but authorities have also not discounted the possibility that drug traffickers were involved.