At least two American nationals who are on vacation in Egypt have found themselves in the midst of danger after being kidnapped by armed groups.
The two American tourists were seized Friday in the southern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a security official confirmed Friday.
Authorities are trying to determine the group responsible for the abduction but initial reports point to unknown Bedouisn as the group responsible.
According to Gen. Marwan Mustapha, spokesman for the Egyptian Interior Ministry, the kidnappers want certain detainees release and retried.
“Our authorities are dealing with the situation,” Mustapha said.
The Egyptian government has already notified the U.S. Embassy in Cairo about the kidnapping, said Katharina Gollner-Sweet, a spokeswoman for the embassy.
According to her, the embassy is working with Egyptian officials to ensure the tourists’ safety.
The abductions had come several days after kidnappers held a larger group for a day.
On Tuesday, some twenty-four Chinese workers and a translator were seized by Bedouins while on their way to a military-owned cement factory on Tuesday, the state-run Xinhua news agency of China reported.
They wanted the Egyptian government to release prisoners. The hostages were later released after Egyptian authorities intervened.