An Egyptian security official says Bedouin tribesmen have kidnapped a Singaporean tourist as he was returning from the Sinai peninsula to the capital.

The official says the kidnappers are asking for the release of a member of the tribe who was arrested a day earlier in possession of weapons. There were no further details on the Friday abduction, which took place in a region in the center of the peninsula.

The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Sinai has seen a surge in lawlessness including a series of kidnappings over the past year. Abducted tourists are rarely harmed. Their kidnappers are usually asking for the release of a detainee.