War and Conflict Journal

Nine foreign hostages were found dead in Yemen, near the Sa’dah region of northwestern Yemen.  The obvious suspects are the al-Houthi Shiite rebels who live and fight in that region, but they deny any involvement in the deaths a British engineer, his South Korean wife, a German doctor, his wife and their three children, and two other German women, believed to be nurses. The dead foreigners all worked in a hospital in Sa’dah, and worked for a Baptist Mission.  If that denial is true, then another suspect group, one which the Yemen government may prefer to blame, is al-Qaida’s local wing, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).  The long-running fear among Western governments and analysts is that al-Qaida may be setting up shop in chaotic Yemen. 

Kidnapping is a common occurrence in Yemen, especially of foreigners, who may be worth some ransom money.  Killing those hostages is not common, due to the aforementioned financial value inherent in healthy, breathing captives.  This tends to make the possibility of the murderers being regular Yemeni rebels or entrepreneurs more remote.

The Yemeni government, embattled in the north by the al-Houthis, and facing a possible new front in the south around the port city of Aden with a new effort by southerners to secede, may welcome the chance to gain more Western aid if a threat by al-Qaida is seen.  The bodies were found in the el-Nashour area, which is slightly to the east of the Sa’dah areas where the al-Houthis are fighting.  Al-Qaida is known to have a base in the el-Nashour area.

Sources and Information:

3 foreign hostages found dead in Yemen, LA Times, June 15, 2009

British engineer among nine foreigners feared murdered in Yemen—Telegraph.co.uk, June 15, 2009

Hostages in Yemen Found Dead??!! Update: Six Alive??!!—-Armies of Liberation, June 15, 2009

Sa’dah al-Houthi Rebellion in Yemen (2004-Present)–www.historyguy.com