2008 attack on tourists in Yemen
The 2008 Yemen tourist attack was an ambush attack on Belgian tourists traveling in a convoy through Hadhramaut in the Wadi Dawan desert valley on January 18, 2008.
| 2008 Yemen tourist attack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hadhramaut, Yemen |
| Date | January 18, 2008 (UTC+3) |
| Target | Belgian tourists |
Attack type | Ambush |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injured | 4 |
| Perpetrators | Unknown, possibly al-Qaeda |
Details
A convoy of four jeeps carrying 15 tourists to Shibam were ambushed by gunmen in a hidden pickup truck.[1] Two Belgian women, Claudine Van Caillie, of Bruges, 63, and Katrine Glorie, from East Flanders, 54, as well as two Yemenis, a driver and a guide, were killed; another man was also heavily wounded, several others suffered minor wounds.[2] The tourists were repatriated to Belgium on January 19, except the injured man, who remained in Sanaa.[3]
In the wake of the attack, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht originally rejected that Al-Qaeda might be responsible, explaining that although the possibility could be avoided, internecine disputes and latent Islamism also to be taken into account.[2] A number of arrests were made on January 21.[4]
Reactions
President of the European Council Slovenia released a statement saying "The EU Presidency strongly condemns all forms of violence and calls on the government of Yemen to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice."[5]
References
- BBC NEWS - Al-Qaeda attack Belgian Tourists
- (in French) Deux Belges tuées au Yémen, Le Soir, January 18, 2008.
- (in French) Yémen: les touristes belges rapatriés, Le Soir, January 19, 2008.
- (in French) Plusieurs suspects arrêtés au Yémen, Le Soir, January 21, 2008.
- Belgian Tourists Return Home From Yemen Ordeal, ArabNews, 20 January 2008.