The Red Cross-mediated prisoner exchange has fuelled expectations for an end to Yemen’s eight-year war between rebels backed by Iran and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Saturday that an aircraft carrying 120 Houthi rebels imprisoned in Saudi Arabia was destined for Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa.
According to ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan, the flight from the southern Saudi city of Abha took off before 9 a.m. local time (0600 UTC/GMT) carrying 120 former detainees.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is arranging a prisoner exchange agreement that will result in the release of approximately 900 inmates.
The exchange has raised expectations for an end to the eight-year-long battle in Yemen between Houthi rebels backed by Iran and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
