A French couple who were kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen have been freed two days after their ordeal began.

Yemeni officials said the couple were returning to the capital, Sana'a, accompanied by security forces and mediators.

Negotiations have been going on since the French tourists and two Yemeni guides were seized in Amran province in the north.

Reports say that yesterday an agreement was reached for the hostages to be freed, but they were captured again when an attempt was made to arrest the kidnappers. Westerners are frequently kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen as a means of bargaining with the government for better living conditions.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service