EL-ARISH, Egypt â€"  Security officials say two American tourists have been kidnapped while traveling in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

The officials say armed Bedouins snatched the two while they were traveling by car from Dahab to the resort of Nuweiba early on Thursday. Both resorts are on the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba.

The officials say the two Americans are men in their early 30s. No other details were immediately available.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

The abduction was the latest in a series of kidnappings in Sinai, which has seen a surge in lawlessness over the last year. Bedouins have been kidnapping tourists to pressure authorities to release detained relatives or to improve basic services in their areas.