A Romanian citizen and ten other foreign tourists were kidnapped in Aswan, Egypt on Monday. The head of Aswan police said that only 11 foreign tourists were kidnapped, denying an initial report that 15 foreign tourists were kidnapped. According to Egyptian authorities, the 11 foreigners are five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has formed a crisis cell to keep contact with the Italian Foreign Ministry on the issue.

According to the BBC, there are reports that the group of tourists was already transfered across the border in Sudan. Kidnappers are said to have demanded 6 million euro to free the people.

Four Egyptian citizens are already said to have been kidnapped.

According to Romanian news channel Realitatea TV, quoting Egyptian sources, negotiations are already taking place to free the tourists.

Various sources say the kidnappers are a gang of thieves, not terrorists.

UPDATE 3: A press release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry says the Romanian woman kidnapped in Egypt is 33 and resides in Germany. According to Romanian TV news channel Realitatea TV, her name is Irina Oana Kalis.

UPDATE 2:

The Romanian Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm the kidnapping of a Romanian citizen. Later on Monday. Italian newspapers quote Al Jazeera as saying that the 11 tourists were freed. Meanwhile, the Romanian Foreign Ministry says its crisis cell continues its activities and that it would only report officially verified information and messages that do not affect attempts to save the victims of the kidnapping. And Romanian President Traian Basescu assured the public opinion that Romanian security structures were keeping contact with Egyptian institutions in the case of the Romanian citizen kidnapped in Egypt.

UPDATE:

Al Jazeera reports that negotiations with ki