Engineers Still Arrested & Bani Dhabian Seeks to Sue Interior Ministry

Five engineers affiliated with engineering office in Sana'a province are still kidnapped by some elements from Bani Dhabian tribe and other kidnappers from nearby areas are still detained.

The five engineers were kidnapped while they were in an official mission doing some engineering studies for a road linking Dhamar to Mareb after the kidnappers failed to pressure the official authority to pay ransom against releasing two students belonging to Al Al-Kumaim who were kidnapped eight months before.

Being involved in the land, the kidnappers ask for their part in the compensation money paid against buying the land by Brig. Ali Muhsen Al-Ahmar to Al-Al-Kumaim and some people from Bani Dhabian when he mediated to settle the differences between the two sides over the plot of land in the capital located in Taiz Street and close to Shumila Market.

In an earlier meeting with the Yemen Post, the kidnapped students' father denied any involvement by them in the incident and hinted the two students were merely kidnapped for being affiliated with Al-Kumaim tribe.

The crisis of the engineers now is added to that of students about whom high directives were issued to secure their immediate release; however, the kidnappers turned a deaf ear to them.

In return, security forces waged an arrest campaign targeting some people affiliated with Bani Dhabian tribe across the republic in an effort to force the kidnappers to set all the kidnapped people free. So far, the number of the arrested Bani Dhabian locals have reached 50 and they are taken as hostages to secure the release of the kidnapped people.

Head of Sana'a Province Security Department Brig. Mohammed Turik assured that security apparatuses are following up the case, hinting they are arresting dozens of Bani Dhabian to force the kidnappers to free the kidnapped students and engineers.

Meanwhile, several sheikhs and dignitaries bitterly attacked this measure by Interior Ministry considering it to be a direct violation of the effective constitution and laws, noting most arrested people have no links to the tribe save the name.

The kidnapped engineers are Ismail Al-Moyyad, Ibrahim Mahdi, Anees Al-Moyyad from Sana'a province, Rafiq Radman from Taiz and the four work for Rock Engineering House, while the fifth one is Waddah Al-Khawbari from Ibb and works for Ministry of Public Works and Roads.

Several human rights activists and lawyers criticized the measures followed by security authorities and noted it is a counter-kidnapping. They also stressed such measures are of no benefit and they violate law and constitution and further harm innocent people.

In related news, some personalities from Bani Dhabian hinted they will sue Interior Ministry as this measure violates the effective laws in Yemen.