Red Cross official kidnapped in Yemen

HUDAIDA, Yemen, April 22 (UPI) -- A French Red Cross official was kidnapped in western Yemen this weekend, the relief agency said.

The official, whose name was not released, was nabbed along with his two Yemeni drivers on Saturday outside the coastal city of Hudaida.

The drivers were soon released unharmed but the International Red Cross said it had received no contact from either the missing official or the kidnappers.

It was not clear who the kidnappers were. CNN said Sunday that kidnappings are common in Yemen, which has been roiled in recent years by political violence and an insurgency by Islamic militants.