SANAA (Reuters) - An Italian embassy security officer who was kidnapped in Yemen on Sunday by tribesmen has been released and is in good health, a Yemeni government official said on Thursday.

The Italian officer was being detained in the oil-producing province of Maarib.

"The Italian diplomat was handed over to the governor of Maarib and he is in good health and will be transferred to Sanaa later to be handed over to the Italian ambassador," the official told Reuters.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Andrew Osborn)