SAADA, Yemen, June 17 (UPI) -- Reward money has increased and the search for six foreign workers kidnapped in Yemen has expanded from the Saada area to three nearby provinces, officials said.
The Yemeni Interior Ministry is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people who kidnapped nine foreigners, three of whom have been found killed, CNN reported Wednesday.
The Interior Ministry reward is in addition to the $25,000 offered by Saada City, the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said.
Yemeni authorities used helicopters to expand their search of the Saada area and neighboring parts of Amran, Hajjah and Jawf provinces, Yemen's SABA news agency reported.
In Saada Monday, officials said they found the bodies of three women, identified as two German nurses and a South Korean teacher. The three were in a group of nine foreigners -- seven Germans, one South Korean and one Briton -- kidnapped Friday.
No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and killings, SABA said.
The nine foreigners reportedly were on a picnic when they were taken hostage, CNN reported. They apparently ventured outside the city of Saada without a police escort, required because of heightened violence, Yemeni Embassy spokesman Mohammed Albasha said.
