Yemeni officials say suspected militants abduct 5 UN workers

BY AHMED AL-HAJ
Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni officials say suspected al-Qaida militants abducted five U.N. workers in the southern province of Abyan. The workers, including four Yemenis and a foreigner, were abducted on Friday. U.N. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said his organization was aware of the abduction. Abductions are frequent in Yemen, an impoverished nation where armed tribesmen and al-Qaida-linked militants take hostages to swap for prisoners or cash. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global network’s most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.