Sanaa , Yemen ( CNN ) -- A Japanese diplomat was wounded when armed men tried to kidnap him in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday morning , three Interior Ministry officials said . The diplomat resisted and was stabbed by the assailants , the officials said . The kidnapping attempt took place outside the diplomat 's residence . The Japanese embassy in Sanaa confirmed the attempted kidnapping and said the diplomat is being treated for minor wounds in a Sanaa hospital . The attackers fled the scene , the Yemeni Interior Ministry said . While kidnapping has long been a problem in Yemen , with tribes often using foreign nationals as a bargain chip in their dealings with the central government , the past 24 months have proven even more dangerous for foreigners . Europeans are considered especially high-value targets . Al Qaeda has been running kidnapping bids for well over a year , targeting foreigners .
The diplomat was stabbed outside his home in Sanaa . Officials : He was wounded after he resisted a kidnapping attempt . Kidnapping foreigners to use as bargaining chips has been a problem in Yemen .