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Yemen: Two Belgian tourists shot dead

Published January 18th, 2008 - 03:12 GMT

Two Belgian tourists were among three people killed, with four more Belgians injured, when gunmen opened fire on them in Yemen's Hadramut province on Friday, a local official told AFP. The tourists' Yemeni driver was also killed by the attackers in the southeastern province.

 

The attackers were said to have targetted the tourists in the province's Do'an Valley, before fleeing the scene in a car.

 

The tourists were travelling to the historic city of Shibam, which lies around 450 kilometres east of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The 16th century city has been dubbed the "Manhattan of the Desert" for its distinctive structures.

 

"There were about 15 people in the tourist group in Hadramout province, including the driver and guides," a Yemeni official said, according to Reuters. "Security forces are looking for the attackers," he said, adding that helicopters had joined the hunt for the unidentified gunmen.