Arab coalition releases 200 Houthi prisoners

The Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government has released 200 Houthi prisoners, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday, citing coalition spokesman Col Turki Al Maliki.

Its aim is to support a UN-brokered deal aimed at ending the nearly five-year war in Yemen, said a statement, adding that the purpose is to pave the way for a larger and long-delayed prisoner swap agreed upon last year.

The coalition is also conducting flights in cooperation with the World Health Organisation to transport patients from Sanaa to countries where they can receive appropriate medical treatment, he added.

The coalition has been battling the Iranbacked Houthis on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015. The two sides signed a UN peace deal in Sweden last December but have yet to implement it.