Yemen’s warring parties resume releasing prisoners، ICRC says‏‏

Hundreds of prisoners from the conflict in Yemen were freed on Saturday as part of a significant prisoner swap that started the day before، the International Committee of the Red Cross reported.

The deal، which was mediated by the UN last month، represented the largest prisoner exchange in years. It happens in the midst of international negotiations to put an end to the protracted war in Yemen.

It entails the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the conflict، which started in 2014 when the Houthi rebels in Yemen، who were backed by Iran، seized control of Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognised government. After escaping to the south، the administration went into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later.

The implementation of the three-day prisoner exchange started Friday with the release of 318 former detainees from all sides، including Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi، who was the defense minister when the war erupted، and Nasser Mansour Hadi، the brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

On Saturday، 357 war prisoners were reportedly released by all parties، according to the ICRC. According to the report، Houthi captives were brought to Sanaa، the capital city under rebel control، from Saudi Arabia and other places under government control in Yemen.

Two dozen Saudi and Sudanese soldiers from the Saudi-led coalition were among those freed. According to the deal، the rebels also freed the relatives of Yemen's late strongman leader، Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh had initially sided with the Houthis in the conflict before switching، which led to the rebels killing him in December 2017. Nephew of the late president Tariq Saleh now commands a sizable force in Yemen's western coast area.

The prisoner exchange came as the Houthis and Saudi Arabia on Friday wrapped up an intensive round of negotiations in Sanaa to revive an expired cease-fire and embark on talks to settle the conflict، according to the Houthis. Both sides would meet again for further talks، the rebels said.

The Saudi-Houthi negotiations، brokered by Oman، have gained momentum following a deal last month between Saudi Arabi and Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran is the Houthis’ main foreign backer.

The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 150،000 people، including fighters and civilians، and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.