UN seeks release of 5 employees kidnapped in Southern Yemen

The United Nations is in close contact with the Yemeni authorities to secure the release of five UN employees abducted several days ago, a spokesman said on Monday.

The five UN staff members were abducted in the southern province of Abyan on Friday, while they were on their way back to Aden after a field mission.

The UN spokesman did not disclose the nationality of those kidnapped.

The government said on Saturday that gunmen kidnapped a vehicle carrying a UN team and that work was under way to free them.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terrorist groups are active in Yemen, taking advantage of the poor security situation in the country.

Yemen has been roiled by a devastating power struggle between the government and the Houthi rebels, who seized the capital Sana’a and other areas since late 2014. (dpa/NAN)