The United Nations on Tuesday confirmed that two of its staff members were both released after they were abducted in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, earlier in the day.

"The United Nations can confirm that two staff members had been abducted in Sanaa, Yemen, earlier today and that both have now been released," a UN spokesman told reporters here.

"We are still trying to confirm details about today's events and will not be able to provide further information at this time," the spokesman said.

The spokesman, in an email message to the press here, did not disclose the nationalities of the two freed UN staff members. Earlier reports said that they are Italians.

Yemeni security forces have managed to free two Italians working for the UN office in the capital Sanaa, hardly over two hours after they were kidnapped earlier Tuesday, local officials said.

After brief clashes the security forces arrested the kidnappers at a checkpoint near the presidential palace area in south Sanaa. They were arrested as they were running to get out of the capital.

At least six foreigners have been kidnapped in Yemen over the past two months. In February, tribesmen and al-Qaida members abducted two British nationals and a German in Sanaa.

Foreigners have been frequently kidnapped in Yemen, where the security situation has worsened since 2011 when a political upheaval severely weakened the government control.

Most of the kidnapped foreigners have been freed unharmed. Last month, a South African woman was freed from the southern province of Abyan, but a ransom of millions of US dollars was demanded for the release of her husband, according to local media.

The Yemeni government has taken efforts to stabilize the country, such as holding a national reconciliation dialogue which ended in January after a 10-month debate.