Two American tourist kidnapped in Egypt

Two U.S. tourists were kidnapped in Egypt’s Sinai region, but a deal has been reached, and the pair should soon be free, said an official in South Sinai on Thursday. General Ahmed Fawzi, secretary for the governor of South Sinai, told CNN, “An agreement has been reached, and they are in the process of releasing them.” The gunmen who kidnapped the American tourists demanded the release of a man arrested a day earlier for drug possession, according to authorities.

The tourists, both 31, were in a car on their way to a hotel from the town of Dahab, when they were stopped, the state-run Ahram newspaper reported. The gunmen forced the tourists out of the vehicle and took them away, demanding the release of Eid Suleiman Etaiwy, who was arrested on Wednesday with “a large amount of drugs” on him. Katherine Sweet, a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said, “We are working closely with Egyptian authorities to resolve this situation.” Bedouin Chief Salem Aenizan, from the Tarabeen tribe in South Sinai, told CNN he is in contact with the kidnappers of the two U.S. tourists, who he said are both men. Aenizan says the kidnappers sent a written message to him regarding the tourists’ welfare, so he could announce it to the media. The message read, “They are unharmed and the Bedouin are treating them well and are friendly to them.”