Red Cross: Yemen’s warring sides resume releasing prisoners

By AHMED AL-HAJ and SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross says hundreds of detainees linked to Yemen’s conflict have been released. The releases Saturday are part of a major prisoner exchange that began Friday. The U.N.-brokered deal has been the most significant exchange of prisoners in years. It comes amid concerted diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the long-running war in Yemen. It involves the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides. Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, overthrowing the internationally recognized government. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later, and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.