Oman's missing envoy 'is safe'

DUBAI (Reuter) - Oman said yesterday that its ambassador was reported safe after being missing for two days, but there were no details of his whereabouts and no information on Yemen's envoy, who disappeared with him. The Oman news agency said that it had information from Algerian security sources that Hilal bin Salem Assiyabi 'was safe and sound and in good health'.

'The (Algerian) sources said that contacts between Oman and Algeria were ongoing,' the Omani agency said. Mr Assiyabi was reported missing along with the Yemeni ambassador, Kacem Askar Djebrane. There was no word from Yemen, which is struggling to overcome the effects of two months of civil war, on its diplomat.

Algerian security officials said the two had been reported missing on Friday from the Khemis el Kechna area, 30 km (20 miles) south- east of Algiers, an area known as 'death triangle'. The remains of their burnt-out car was found seven miles from where they vanished. Algerian newspapers suggested the two men had been abducted. Since the start of Algeria's civil strife, at least 3,700 people have been killed.