BERLIN, June 16 (RIA Novosti) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that two German women who were among nine foreigners kidnapped in Yemen last week are probably dead, ZDF television reported.
The nine foreigners belong to an international relief group that has worked in the country for the past 35 years.
"We unfortunately have to assume that the two German women who were missing are among the dead," Steinmeier said.
Earlier media reports said that all nine of the kidnapped foreigners had been found dead. Among the missing are one man from the United Kingdom and his South Korean wife, as well as seven Germans, including two female nurses and three children.
On Monday, the Yemeni Interior Ministry said at least three women hostages had been killed: two Germans and a South Korean. Their bodies were said to have been found in Yemen's Noshour region.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea confirmed the death of its citizen.
Steinmeier said he had no further information on the remaining Germans. However, he said Berlin believed they were being held by an "unscrupulous and violent group."
Since 2001, 10 Germans have been kidnapped in Yemen. All of them were however later released.
