Ten KL students held in Yemen

Ten KL students held in Yemen

MALAYSIA: Ten Malaysian religious students have been detained by security forces in Yemen in what is believed to be part of an antiterror campaign, local media reported on Monday.

The students, aged between 23 and 36, were picked up last week at the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border while returning from their pilgrimage to Mecca, the New Straits Times daily said.

The government was seeking more information on the arrests and embassy officials were negotiating the students' release, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Last month, 12 Malaysian students from the Ma'ahad Tahfiz al- Quran religious school in Yemen were detained but later released without reasons being given for their detention.

There are between 250 and 300 Malaysian students in Yemen. --AFP