A Derry man who was kidnapped by tribesmen in Yemen on Sunday and held hostage for five hours is expected home later this week.
Mr Patrick Walsh (56), an oil worker with US oil company Hunt Oil, was taken from the company's compound by Marib tribesmen. The details of his abduction and release have not been disclosed. Last month one of Mr Walsh's colleagues was abducted by the same tribesmen and held hostage for five days.
A representative of the British embassy in Yemen contacted Mr Walsh's family in Derry yesterday and told them he had been released unharmed. A liaison officer with the London Metropolitan Police said Mr Walsh was taken from the compound where he worked and held for a short time before being released and as far as he was aware, no ransom was paid.
Eight other Western nationals are still being held captive by tribesmen in the same region of Yemen.