15 US and UN officials were captured by Houthi fighters

International desk: 15 Yemeni workers working in international organizations including the United States have been captured by the country's Houthi rebels. Three officials of Yemen's internationally recognized government told Reuters on Friday (June 7).

Armed Houthi rebels on Thursday captured nine UN staff, three from the US-funded pro-democracy group National Democratic Institute (NDI) and three from a local human rights group in a series of raids. 

Houthi rebels control Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and hold large parts of the country's north. Yesterday they raided various houses and offices in the capital. At this time, the Houthi rebels seized the phones and computers of those officials.

The internationally recognized government of Yemen, which controls southern Yemen, said the UN officials were human rights activists and worked on humanitarian issues.

Reuters contacted the United Nations and NDI to find out about this. But they did not comment on this. The spokesperson of the Houthi rebels also refused to say anything about this.