Berlin - A German couple who were taken hostage by tribesmen in western Yemen for five days arrived home in Germany Tuesday, their son told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Heinrich Thielebein and his wife Rosemarie flew back from Sana'a to their home in the northern port city of Kiel.

The couple's daughter Julia, an architect, was also kidnapped and subsequently released. Officials said she chose to stay in Yemen and continue her work with GTZ, an aid contractor belonging to the German government.

The three were released unharmed Friday and handed over to a Yemeni government representative. Sources close to the negotiations told dpa that the abductors set them free after the government representative promised to meet their demands.

The abductors had called for the release of two relatives jailed in Sana'a over the kidnapping of five local engineers last year.

The three Germans were abducted during an excursion outside Sana'a on December 15.

Disgruntled tribesmen from impoverished areas of Yemen often take hostages to use as bargaining chips to press the government for aid, jobs or the release of detained fellow clansmen.

More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in Yemen since 1991. Almost all were released unharmed after mediation involving tribal leaders. (dpa)