France’s foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed reports that a French woman working for an international organisation had been kidnapped in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is under the control of Shiite Houthi rebels.

“We unfortunately confirm the kidnapping this morning in Sanaa of a French national working for an international organisation,” the ministry said in a statement. “We are fully mobilised to try and locate her and ensure a speedy liberation.”

Earlier in the day, security sources said that gunmen had abducted a French woman and her Yemeni driver in the centre of the capital as she headed to work.

Kidnappings are common in Yemen, a country of 25 million where disgruntled tribesmen have frequently seized foreigners to use as pawns in negotiations to push the government to provide them with services or to free jailed relatives.

The country is also home to one of the most active branches of al Qaeda, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, which is also known to target foreigners.

Yemen has been in turmoil since September, when the Houthi rebels seized control of the capital.

The Shiite militia group stormed the presidential palace and announced the dissolution of parliament earlier this month.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)