Foreign office voices concern at British hostage feared dead

The foreigners, believed to include a British engineer, seven Germans, and a South Korean, disappeared on Friday while on a picnic in the northern Saada region of Yemen.

It was reported they had been seized by Shiite rebels operating in the region.

Last night, Yemeni security officials confirmed that the mutilated bodies of three women - two German nurses and a South Korean teacher - were found by shepherds.

Initially, it was reported all nine, including three young children, were killed, but the Yemeni government later said six were still missing.

Experts said the killings bore the hallmarks not of local tribesmen but of jihadist militants who had returned home after fighting in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are very concerned about reports that bodies have been found. We are seeking details."

The group worked for Dutch charity World Wide Services Foundation, which provides medical aid in the region.

Yemen, one of the poorest nations in the Middle East, is home to restive tribes and a Shiite rebellion, as well as a division of al Qaida which operates in its remote regions and has often targeted foreigners.

The Foreign Office could not confirm the identity of the missing Briton.