A security official says gunmen have kidnapped an Iranian diplomat who was driving his car in the capital, Sanaa.
The official said armed men stopped the diplomat's car early today and forced him into their car before speeding away.
He did not disclose the diplomat's name or any further details, saying the incident is under investigation. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity according to regulations, said traffic at the time of the kidnapping was light.
Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has warned that the al-Qaida branch in the country is using assassinations and abductions of foreigners as a way to challenge the central government's authority.
The United States considers the Yemen branch to be al-Qaida's most active and dangerous.
