An Iranian diplomat is killed after resisting gunmen who were trying to kidnap him.

The gunmen then fled.

He wasn't far from the ambassador's residence, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

This young man saw the attempted kidnapping:

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WITNESS TAHA SHARHAN, SAYING:

"A car intercepted the diplomat's car and then four armed people got out of the car and one of them broke the window of the diplomat's car , and tried to pull out the diplomat from his car but he resisted, then the attacker shot him with four bullets."

Security sources say the diplomat was traveling in a car that belonged to the Iranian embassy.

The ambassador was not in the car at the time of the attack.

Sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites has been increasing in northern Yemen over the last several months.

Iran is the leading Shi'ite Muslim power in the Middle East.