Tragic Turn to Yemen Kidnapping

The kidnapping of nine foreign aid workers in northern Yemen last Friday seems to have come to a tragic turn. Seven of their bodies have been found including one of the children, according to an official.

The Yemeni government blamed a local Shia rebel group, led by Abdulmalik al-Houthi, for the kidnapping.

The group has fought a sporadic insurgency in the Zaidi Shia heartland between the capital, Sanaa, and the border with Saudi Arabia.

But it denied any involvement in a statement.

A local tribal leader in the area, speaking to the Associated Press news agency anonymously, blamed al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda is known to have operated in the area, and analysts say it may be regrouping in Yemen after coming under pressure in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

ADDENDA: Jane Novak (*the* blog source for all things Yemeni) has a report that the two unaccounted for children were found alive.

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UPDATE: Sources on this are very confused right now. The AP still has it as all nine are dead; Reuters and the Yemen Post have it as three dead (two German women and the South Korean woman).

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hat tip to Mr. Bill for passing me the BBC report.