The group of nine foreign hostages, three of them children, was kidnapped in a mountainous northern area. It comprised seven Germans, a male British engineer and a female South Korean teacher. One unconfirmed report citing unnamed security officials said the bodies of more of the foreigners had been found. Yemen's Interior Ministry earlier said the foreigners were kidnapped while on a picnic on Friday in the north-western province of Saada. The authorities said the group included a German doctor, his wife and three children. The kidnapped adults all worked at a hospital in Saada, the state news agency said. The UK and German foreign ministries said they were investigating reports of the deaths. The Yemeni government has blamed a local Shia rebel group, Huthi Zaidi, for the kidnapping. The group, which has been fighting the government for the last five years, denied any involvement.