Riyadh: The Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting in Yemen on Friday announced that it had transported 163 Houthi prisoners to Yemen in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as part of a humanitarian initiative, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The return of the prisoners was carried out in three stages and completed on Friday to the capital, Sanaa, and to the city of Aden.
A video posted by SPA on Twitter on Friday showed a plane transporting dozens of Houthi prisoners.
On April 28, 2022, the coalition announced a humanitarian initiative to release 163 Houthi prisoners.
On April 24, 2022, Houthi rebels said they had released 14 foreign prisoners following negotiations with Oman.
On April 1, 2022, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the parties to the conflict had agreed to a two-month truce that could be extended, which began the next day.
The last major prisoner exchange, involving about 1,000 detainees, took place in October 2020.
The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.
The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated the economy, and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine
