Yemeni tribesmen have freed three women who were among a group of five Italian tourists they kidnapped today to press for the release of fellow tribe members held by the authorities.
"Negotiations have started towards the peaceful release of the two remaining Italian men," a Yemeni security official said.
He said the five were kidnapped in the eastern province of Maarib and that the tribesmen wanted eight people held on criminal charges freed.
The five were kidnapped in the eastern province of Maarib, about 170 km (106 miles) east of the capital Sanaa.
The kidnappers were members of a tribe that has carried out similar abductions in the past.
Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh pledged to eradicate kidnappings in the poor Arab country, a day after five German hostages were freed unharmed by tribesmen who held them captive for three days.
Armed tribal groups in Yemen, where central government control is often weak, seize tourists frequently, but they are usually freed after negotiations.