Armed tribesmen believed to be the Yemeni Houthi-led Shiite rebels kidnapped seven military officers on Tuesday in the country's northern province of Al-Jouf, a local security official told Xinhua.
The armed rebels abducted the seven officers earlier Tuesday while the latter were en route from the capital Sanaa to their barracks in al-Ghail district in Al-Jouf province, some 143 km north of Sanaa, the official said on condition of anonymity.
The official said the motivation behind the kidnap was still not clear.
Al-Jouf is a well-known stronghold of the Shiite rebels who fought the government troops over the six past years. On Aug. 26, 2010, the Yemeni government and the Shiite Houthi rebel group signed an agreement in Doha, cementing a fragile ceasefire in northern Yemen.
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