Yemen: Saudis free 13 Houthis as Omani officials visit Sanaa
By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels say Saudi Arabia released 13 war prisoners. The Houthis say the prisoners arrived Saturday in the capital, Sanaa. They say the prisoners were released in exchange of a Saudi prisoner who the Houthis freed earlier. Omani officials, meanwhile, landed in Sanaa for talks with Houthi officials in the latest efforts to renew a cease-fire deal which expired in October. Oman has for years hosted talks between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Yemen’s conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa, ousting the internationally recognized government. The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power.