Houthis release 113 prisoners: Red Cross

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - Houthi rebels released 113 prisoners as part of a humanitarian initiative announced earlier this week, Red Cross said Sunday.

“The unilateral release of 113 detainees took place in Sana’a today,” the humanitarian group said, adding that it mediated to secure the release.

The prisoners were members of the Yemeni government and Red Cross representatives visited them regularly for treatment.

There was no immediate comment from the government side.

In April 2023, the Yemeni government announced the first batch of prisoners were exchanged with Houthis, involving around 900 prisoners from both sides.

During consultations in Stockholm in 2018, both parties presented lists containing over 15,000 prisoners, detainees, and abductees. However, no accurate official count of the numbers has been available since that date.

Yemen has been suffering from a war that began after the Houthis took control of the capital, Sana'a, and several provinces in late 2014.

The conflict intensified in March 2015 when a Saudi-led Arab military coalition intervened to support government forces against the Iran-backed Houthi group.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi