Sana’a: Al Qaeda gunmen have seized a Japanese engineer from his tribal kidnappers in Yemen, a tribal source who has been seeking to negotiate his release said on Saturday.
"The hostage was seized by elements of al Qaeda, who took him to an unknown destination in the Maarib region," east of the capital, Sana’a, one of two tribal mediators said on condition of anonymity.
The man, identified by Japanese media as 63-year-old Takeo Mashimo, was kidnapped on Sunday in Arhab, northeast of Sana’a, by tribesmen seeking to exchange him for one of their relatives being held by police.
He was seized by al Qaeda last night, with a second mediator saying al Qaeda became involved after being approached by someone close to the detained tribesman who was opposed to the Japanese hostage's release.
The 22-year-old man whose release was being sought by the tribesmen was imprisoned by US forces for a year in Iraq, according to a source in Yemen.
He was later arrested in Syria before being held in Sana’a, where he was sentenced to two years in prison without charges, the same source said.
Meanwhile, authorities have been rounding up members of the Al-Hanaq and Al-Gub tribes responsible for the initial kidnapping, the first source said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009, 18:39