On Tuesday, an American English teacher was detained in Yemen on suspicions of espionage.
While there were conflicting reports on where the English teacher was ultimately taken, Yemeni officials told the Associated Press that he was taken from his home in Sanaa.
Contrary to that statement, Reuters reported that the English teacher was taken by armed men in civilian clothing that entered the school where he taught and forced the teacher into their car.
“We were shocked when the armed group entered the building. They got to his office and took him to an unknown location,” a Yemeni teacher at the school told RushHourDaily.
It is not immediately known if the teacher is being held by the Houthis or their allies. Houthies, Shiite rebels, captured Sanaa in 2014, and are presently aligned with forces that are loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A State Department spokeswoman told RushHourDaily, “We are aware of reports of U.S. citizens being held in Yemen. Privacy considerations prevent us from commenting further on this case.”
The ongoing civil war in Yemen has led to all remaining Americans in the country to be detained under similar suspicions of espionage by the Houthis. The Shiite rebels have accused the United States of arming and supporting the Saudi-backed coalition which has frequently intervened in the conflict to aid Yemeni government forces.
The location of the detained English teacher is not known at this time.
