| December 1998 tourist kidnappings in Yemen | |
|---|---|
| Location | Abyan Governorate, Yemen |
| Date | 28 December 1998 |
| Target | Western tourists |
Attack type | |
| Weapons | AK-47 assault rifles, bazookas |
| Victims | 16 |
| Perpetrators | Aden-Abyan Islamic Army |
| Assailants | Al-Fadl tribesmen |
No. of participants | 18 |
| Defenders | Yemeni police |
| Motive |
|
| Convicted | Zein Al-Abidine al-Mihdar, Abu Hamza al-Masri |
| Convictions | Al-Mihdar: Kidnapping (16 counts) Abu Hamza: Terrorism |
| Sentence | Al-Mihdar: Capital punishment Abu Hamza: Life imprisonment |
On 28 December 1998, a group of seventeen tourists from western countries, mostly the United Kingdom, was attacked by the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army in Abyan Governorate while traveling to Aden, Yemen. Sixteen tourists were abducted and taken to a remote hideout. The following day, Yemeni forces raided the hideout in an attempt to rescue the hostages, resulting in the release of twelve of them and the death of four.