YEMEN: RELEASED GERMAN HOSTAGES RETURN HOME

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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German/Nat Four German tourists who were held captive for three weeks by Yemeni tribesmen have returned home to Frankfurt from San'a. The tourists were released on Wednesday, and say they were treated well by their captors. Two of them spoke to A-P-T-N from the German ambassador's residence in San'a, where all four hostages have taken refuge since their ordeal ended, before their departure. Yemen -- an Arab nation which has been in the world spotlight in recent days. It all began when Islamic extremists kidnapped a group of 16 tourists, and the Yemeni army launched an operation to rescue them. But four of the tourists died when a bloody gun battle erupted during the bungled rescue effort. Kidnapping is a common trade in lawless Yemen, but most hostages are released unharmed. Such was the case with four German hostages, released by their tribesmen captors on Wednesday. They had been held since December 7th, when they were captured in Marib in Yemen's north. Following their release, the Germans - three women and a man - were taken to Sana'a where they have been guests of German ambassador Helga von Strachwitz. Two of the women come from Berlin, the other from Rhineland-Pfalz -- their travel guide comes from Saarland. They have reportedly said they were well treated by their captors. Two of the former hostages spoke to A-P-T-N briefly on Friday, but made no direct mention of their ordeal. SOUNDBITE: (German) "We're very happy to be free, that all parties - the Yemeni government and the German government - were committed, engaged (to our cause) and also here, that the embassy took care of us and our relatives." SUPER CAPTION: Male former hostage SOUNDBITE: (German) "Delighted to return home..." SUPER CAPTION: Female former hostage The Germans are expected to fly to Frankfurt early on Saturday. Despite recent events it seems Yemen's tourist trade is still booming. In Sana'a, groups of foreign visitors clearly remain, soaking up the culture and atmosphere of the country. However, the deaths of the past days have shocked Yemen, known for its hospitality, even by kidnappers. In recent years, tribesmen seeking better roads or schools for their impoverished provinces have kidnapped scores of tourists but usually released them unharmed after treating them as guests. Until Tuesday, no hostage had been killed. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1dba64d8d563c38a4f7f58658632503a Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork