Saudi Arabia, Houthis exchange prisoners as Omani officials arrive in Sanaa for talks to end Yemen’s year-long conflict.
Saudi Arabia has released more than a dozen Houthi detainees ahead of wider prisoner releases agreed by the warring factions, according to a spokesman for the Yemeni rebel group.
Saturday’s release came as Omani officials arrived in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa as part of international efforts to end Yemen’s long-standing conflict.
Abdul-Qader el-Murtaza, a Houthi official responsible for talks on the exchange of prisoners in Yemen’s conflict, said on Twitter that 13 Houthi prisoners had arrived in Sanaa.
He said the prisoners were released in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the Houthis released earlier.
He did not say when the rebels released the Saudi prisoner.
There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government.
“The detainees released from Saudi prisons today are part of the deal negotiated through the United Nations, and next Thursday… the deal will be fully implemented,” al-Murtaza said.
He was referring to a UN-brokered deal struck in Switzerland last month that includes the release of 887 prisoners.
The UN special envoy to Yemen has said the deal is one of many developments reflecting the move to end the eight-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. causes.
The conflict in Yemen began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the north of the country, overthrowing the internationally recognized government who fled south and then went into exile in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to step in months later in an attempt to return the internationally recognized government to power.
The conflict is widely viewed as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The release of detainees came as Saudi and Omani envoys were expected to meet in Sanaa to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Houthi officials, building on an expired UN-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Salam, who is based in Muscat, said on Twitter on Saturday that he had arrived in Sanaa with an Omani delegation.
The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that a Saudi delegation, led by the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, would visit Sanaa on Sunday, including for talks with the Houthis.
Oman has hosted talks between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia for years.
These negotiations – which run parallel to UN peace efforts – have gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift.
The Iran-Saudi Arabia deal, announced in Beijing on March 10, has revived hopes of a resolution to the conflict in Yemen.