A French couple kidnapped in Yemen on Monday are reported to be back in the hands of their captors, despite having earlier been released.

The couple were handed over to the Yemeni authorities on Tuesday after negotiations with tribal leaders as intermediaries.

However, when members of the police tried to arrest the kidnappers, armed villagers surrounded the group, and brought the couple back to the village.

Police then surrounded the house where they were taken with their kidnappers.

The police said the atmosphere in the village was extremely tense after the recapture of the hostages.

Honeymoon

The unnamed couple, both aged around 25 and reported to be on their honeymoon, were snatched from their car, along with two Yemeni guides, in Amran province, about 60km (37 miles) north of the capital, Sana'a, on Monday morning.

A police source told the French news agency AFP that the victims had been taken to the remote Jawf region, further north, but gave no further details.

The French foreign ministry said its embassy was in contact with Yemeni authorities.

A spokesman said citizens had been reminded to "exercise the greatest caution in Yemen" and to stay away from the area around Jawf, which is considered too risky for tourists.

Death penalty

Tourists and foreigners working in Yemen are often seized by disgruntled tribesmen trying to press the government for better infrastructure in remote areas of the country or the release of imprisoned tribe members.

Most hostages have been released unharmed, but in 1998 four Westerners were killed when Yemeni security forces stormed a hideout where kidnappers were holding 16 hostages.

Nobody had been kidnapped since three Americans were held by armed tribesmen for three days last October.

Yemen has recently set up special courts to try kidnappers and introduced the death penalty for the offence.

In November, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh formed a special forces unit to combat "terrorism", including the kidnapping of foreigners.