Red Cross Workers Kidnapped

Kidnappings are common in Mali, which has been battling a security and political crisis since separatist insurgencies broke out in the north of the country in 2012.

A Red Cross employee's kidnapping in Yemen underscored the "extremely fragile" situation in the country for humanitarian workers, with the coming days crucial for securing the hostage's release, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Director-General Yves Daccord said today.

Afghan police on Sunday sought to free five local Red Cross employees kidnapped by gunmen in the western province of Herat, in the latest case of aid workers being targeted.

A car bomb killed dozens of people in rebel-held northwestern Syria on Monday as suspected jihadists freed four out of seven aid workers kidnapped in the increasingly volatile region.

Armed tribesmen briefly held two Indian employees of the international Red Cross on Wednesday in south Yemen, where two kidnapped Egyptians remained in captivity, the organisation and local sources told AFP.

Armed tribesmen kidnapped two Indian employees of the international Red Cross in southern Yemen on Wednesday, in the second such incident in the area this week, a spokeswoman for the organisation and local sources told AFP.

A French staff member of the International Red Cross who was kidnapped in Yemen almost three months ago has been freed, officials said Saturday.

Kidnappings are common in Mali, which has been battling a security and political crisis since separatist insurgencies broke out in the north of the country in 2012.

A Red Cross employee's kidnapping in Yemen underscored the "extremely fragile" situation in the country for humanitarian workers, with the coming days crucial for securing the hostage's release, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Director-General Yves Daccord said today.

Afghan police on Sunday sought to free five local Red Cross employees kidnapped by gunmen in the western province of Herat, in the latest case of aid workers being targeted.

A car bomb killed dozens of people in rebel-held northwestern Syria on Monday as suspected jihadists freed four out of seven aid workers kidnapped in the increasingly volatile region.

Armed tribesmen briefly held two Indian employees of the international Red Cross on Wednesday in south Yemen, where two kidnapped Egyptians remained in captivity, the organisation and local sources told AFP.

Armed tribesmen kidnapped two Indian employees of the international Red Cross in southern Yemen on Wednesday, in the second such incident in the area this week, a spokeswoman for the organisation and local sources told AFP.

A French staff member of the International Red Cross who was kidnapped in Yemen almost three months ago has been freed, officials said Saturday.