Men abduct Yemen leader on plane

August 15, 2012

Gunmen have stormed a passenger plane after it landed in south Yemen, grabbed an opposition leader from his seat and spirited him away to an unknown destination, an official says.

Wednesday's kidnapping took place at the international airport in the port city of Aden.

Masked gunmen burst into the airport building first, meeting no resistance from airport security. They then ran onto the runway and boarded the plane.

The official said the motive for the abduction of retired Major General Ahmed Abdullah al-Hassani, a former Yemeni navy commander, was unclear.

Al-Hassani was a staunch opponent of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. After retiring, he became a prominent campaigner for the south's secession.