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2023.04.21 11:54 GMT+8

Yemen's Houthis release 77 pro-gov't detainees: TV

Updated 2023.04.21 11:54 GMT+8
CGTN

Prisoners released disembark from a plane during a prisoner exchange at the Sanaa airport in Sanaa, Yemen, April 16, 2023. /Xinhua

Yemen's Houthi group released 77 pro-government detainees on Thursday, according to the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Abdulkadir al-Murtada, head of the Houthi prisoner committee, was quoted by the television as saying that they included dozens of patients and elderly individuals.

He added that the move was made in goodwill towards efforts for a future prisoner swap with the government.

Last week, the Yemeni government and the Houthis exchanged about 900 prisoners as part of a UN-brokered deal reached by the warring sides in March.

Yemen has been embroiled in a deadly civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital, Sanaa.

The prisoner swap comes as part of ongoing efforts aimed at building trust between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia, while it is also widely regarded as a vital milestone in preparing a favorable environment and showcasing mutual commitment from both parties to actively participate in forthcoming peace negotiations with the ultimate aim of achieving permanent peace.

The war has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and the imprisonment of thousands more.

(With input from Xinhua)

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