9 foreign hostages killed in Yemen

SAN'A, Yemen: Nine missing foreigners in Yemen have been murdered, said a Yemeni official yesterday, apparently executed by their kidnappers in the impoverished nation in the Arabian peninsula where Al-Qaida has a strong presence.

The nine foreigners, including seven German nationals, a Briton and a South Korean, disappeared last week while on a picnic in the restive northern Saada region of Yemen.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, announced the discovery of the remaining six bodies yesterday after three others had been found mutilated earlier in the day.