(JTA) — Two American tourists and their Egyptian guide were kidnapped in the Sinai Desert, according to Egyptian military and police officials.
The Bedouin kidnappers are demanding the release of a jailed tribesman, according to news reports.
The tourists and guide were taken Friday when the kidnappers stopped their tourist bus, according to The Associated Press.
Robberies and kidnappings in the Sinai have increased since the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak last year.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman said the embassy was looking into the kidnapping and did not provide additional details.
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