Saudi Arabian authorities detained seven experts working for Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. when they were prospecting in the Yemeni province of Hadramawt, a Yemeni security official said Sunday.
"The seven experts -- six Americans and one Australian -- were detained when they were prospecting in bloc 51, in the province of Hadramawt," which borders on Saudi Arabia, said the official, who is based in the province.
He added that the Saudi authorities claim than the area in question is territory that is disputed between the two countries.
The official said that the experts are expected to be released "in the coming hours."
Separately, a source in Sanaa said that the government had called for a meeting with the Saudi ambassador, but did not say whether that meeting had yet taken place.
On June 12, Riyadh and Sanaa reached a border agreement, putting an end to decades of disputes. -- SANAA (AFP)
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