Ten Malaysian religious students have been detained by security forces in Yemen in what is believed to be part of an anti-terror campaign, local media reported today.

The students, aged between 23 and 36, were picked up last week at the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border while returning from their pilgrimage to Mecca, the New Straits Times daily said.

"We are not happy with the detentions as the students are studying in recognised universities with valid visas which only expire in October," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

The government was seeking more information on the arrests and embassy officials were negotiating the students' release, he said.

Opposition groups

Last month, 12 Malaysian students from the Ma'ahad Tahfiz al-Quran religious school in Yemen were detained but later released without reasons being given for their detention.

The students arrested last week were studying at three religious intitutions run by opposition groups, Malaysia's ambassador to Yemen, Azman Mohamed Nazir, was quoted as saying.

"These arrests may be connected with the Yemeni crackdown on religious school students allegedly engaged in politics and terrorism," he said.

There are between 250 and 300 Malaysian students in Yemen.

As part of an anti-terror campaign launched by Sanaa at Washington's behest since the Sept 11 attacks, Yemen has expelled around 500 foreign students enrolled in Muslim schools.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh said in February there were 84 people in custody in Yemen on suspicion of having links with terrorism, including eight implicated in the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole.