Boris Borisov, Bulgarian envoy, outwits would-be kidnappers in Yemen
Yemeni security forces secure a main road in the southern port of Aden following the seizure of Saudi Arabia’s deputy consul by unknown gunmen outside his home in the southern city on March 28, 2012.
Officials said a failed kidnapping attempt on the Bulgarian ambassador in Yemen on Saturday left him with minor injuries, reported Reuters.
The incident has provoked outcry from the Bulgarian authorities, with Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov saying it left him "shocked and indignant," according to Agence-France Press.
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Borisov was driving through Sanaa with his wife when they were intercepted by a car of masked gunmen that proceeded to open fire on the vehicle and tried to take Borisov hostage, Yemeni security officials told AFP. Witnesses said he and his wife managed to escape and hide in a nearby shop.
A Western diplomat told Reuters Borisov's eye was wounded by broken glass during the scuffle. The Bulgarian National Radio today said the diplomat will return home for medical treatment.
He had only been on the job a week, according to AFP.
Kidnappings are relatively common in Yemen.