Briton kidnapped a second time

Gunmen swooped on aid workers on Tuesday

A Briton kidnapped by gunmen in Somalia was abducted once before in the country, it has emerged.

Bill Condie, from Scotland, is among four expatriate workers still being held by a gang who swooped on a World Health Organisation and United Nations child vaccination unit on Tuesday.

They kidnapped six United Nations expatriate staff, three foreign aid workers and one Somalian, all of whom were connected to a Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) operation.

Efforts to free the remaining hostages are continuing

The gunmen later handed over six aid workers, including one Briton, to the transitional administration in the capital Mogadishu.

United Nations information officer, Sonya Laurence-Green, said the freed aid workers were safe and well and plans were being made to fly them to Nairobi.

She said the action was being blamed on the rebel warlord Musa Sudi Yalahow.

The released British hostage was reported to be Jonathan Veitch, a senior UN official in neighbouring Kenya.

However, Mr Condie, from Clackmannanshire, another Briton named as Roger Carter, a Belgian Unicef employee and a French WHO worker were still being held.

Ms Laurence-Green said: "A total of six aid workers have been released.

Remote airstrip

"That includes two Unicef expatriates, one Unicef Somali aid worker and three aid workers with Medecins San Frontieres Spain.

"One Briton was released but there are two British UN security officers remaining, as well as a Belgian Unicef employee and a French employee with the World Health Organisation."

Ms Laurence-Green confirmed that Mr Condie was part of a five-man group abducted at a remote airstrip near Mogadishu in 1996.

She said: "For Bill Condie, this has been one of a few incidents that he has been through.

"He is a professional, cool-headed and I'm sure that he is bearing up quite well under the pressure."

Conflict like this only derails our effort to help the Somali people in any meaningful way

UN spokeswoman

The UN spokeswoman said appeals had been made to the armed group to release the remaining hostages and a motive for the kidnapping remained unclear.

She said: "We think that by maintaining dialogue we will be able to solve this without any further complications."

Ms Laurence-Green said it was known that the remaining hostages were being held in two separate groups, with Mr Condie and Mr Carter kept together.

"They (the hostages) have been seen by Somalis on the ground and it has been reported back to us that they are okay," she said.

She told the BBC that the armed group's actions only damaged efforts to help the people of Somalia.

"We are upset that humanitarian workers were attacked, we need to be able to work in a safe environment.

"Conflict like this only derails our effort to help the Somali people in any meaningful way."