Yemen government puts two Chinese workers in safe place after being freed

SANAA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni authorities said on Tuesday that they have received the two Chinese oil workers who were abducted by southern armed Yemeni tribesmen and said they would be transferred to capital Sanaa to be officially handed over to Chinese embassy Wednesday morning.

The governor of Shabwa, Ali Hassan al-Ahmadi told Xinhua by phone that "we and the Deputy Oil and Minerals Minister, Abdul Malik Allama, received the two Chinese oil workers from the local mediation committee and they are now in my office in the Shabwa capital city of Ataq."

"The pair are safe and in good conditions and they have talked via phone with the Chinese ambassador to Yemen," he added.

Governor al-Ahmadi strongly condemned the criminal kidnap and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

A senior security official who asked to remain anonymity, said the two Chinese men will stay tonight in Ataq under heavy security.

"The released two Chinese men will stay tonight at al-Sharq hotel in Ataq under heavy security," according to the official.

"They will be transferred tomorrow morning to Sanaa to be officially handed over to China's embassy," he said.

The official also said that security campaign cordoned off the area where the kidnappers are believed to be hidden and launched a large-scale manhunt to capture them and bring them to justice. The two Chinese workers told Xinhua by phone that they were nervous when they were transferred to the city of Ataq as a tribal gunmen and a security official accompanying them to meet the negotiator earlier today.

"But now we get relax as we were released thanks to the efforts made by Chinese embassy in Sanaa," they added.

Chinese ambassador to Yemen Liu Denglin confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the two Chinese oil workers who were abducted by tribesmen in southeastern Yemen had been handed over to the Yemeni government.

The ambassador said the two men told him by phone they were in healthy condition.

"The two abducted Chinese oil workers were freed through the efforts made by every side, including the Yemeni government, security authorities and local tribal mediators and so on," Liu told Xinhua by phone.

On Sunday, armed Yemeni tribesmen in Shabwa province took the two Chinese oil workers hostage along with their four Yemeni escorts - two guards and two drivers.

An embassy spokesman said then that the embassy immediately contacted the Yemeni security authorities and asked them to secure the safe release of the two Chinese workers as soon as possible.

Yemeni Defense Ministry said on Monday that security authorities launched a security campaign in a bid to free the two Chinese oil workers held by armed tribesmen.

The ministry quoted the governor of Shabwa, Ali Hassan al- Ahmadi as saying that "we call on the kidnappers to quickly free the two Chinese men along with their four Yemeni escorts unconditionally and to surrender to the security authorities."

"Security authorities identified the kidnappers as outlaw elements from the tribe of al-Kamoush who committed the criminal kidnap," he added.

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