Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen today freed more than 100 prisoners of war linked to the long-running conflict in the country, the Associated Press reported, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross, BTA reports.
The release comes more than a year after Yemen's warring parties freed more than 800 prisoners in April last year.
113 prisoners of war were released this morning in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, the Red Cross said in a statement, adding that those freed were among those the International Committee of the Red Cross regularly visited and assisted while in detention.
"We hope this will pave the way for further releases, which will bring comfort to families anxiously waiting to be reunited with their loved ones," said Daphne Maret, who heads the Red Cross delegation in Yemen.
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Thousands of people are still believed to be held as prisoners of war since the conflict began in 2014, and others are missing. The Red Cross considers today's release a "positive step" to the resumption of prisoner exchange negotiations.
"We stand ready to play our role as a neutral mediator in facilitating the release, transfer and repatriation of detainees," the statement said.
The devastating conflict began in Yemen after the Houthis swept in from the north and seized Sana'a and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government to flee. A Saudi-led coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government, but in recent years the conflict has turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. More than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, have died so far in the conflict, which has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.