Berlin - A German couple who were taken hostage by tribesmen in western Yemen for five days arrived safely home in Germany Tuesday.

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

"We're relieved and happy it all turned out well and delighted to be home again," they said.

The couple's daughter Julia, an architect, was kidnapped with them and also released.

She chose to stay in Yemen, where she has lived for 10 years, 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.

Heinrich Thielebein said Tuesday, "We were detained against our will for five days, but were well-treated, given the circumstances." He said the couple would not be saying any more to the media about the ordeal.

They thanked "everybody who was involved in our release."

Sources close to the negotiations told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the abductors set them free after the government representative promised to meet the tribe's 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