Saudi Arabia confirmed the release of six of its prisoners with the Houthi group, which it said expects a similar initiative from the Saudi-led coalition and the UAE to release its prisoners from its prisons.
Saudi television said that the released prisoners returned today, Wednesday, to the Kingdom, adding that the coalition appreciates the efforts of the International Red Cross to return them to their country.
Earlier today, the head of the Houthi Prisoners Committee, Abdul Qadir Al-Murtada, said in a statement that they handed over the released Saudi prisoners to the Red Cross in Sanaa in order to hand them over to Saudi Arabia, adding that it is a unilateral initiative that falls within the framework of efforts to solve the prisoners ’file.
Al-Murtada added that the handover process was carried out under the guidance of the Houthi leadership, and that they are awaiting similar steps before, from what he described as the forces of aggression to release the Houthi prisoners.
The website of the Al Masirah channel posted a picture of the six Saudis, accompanied by a Houthi official and Red Cross staff. It was reported that the prisoners were transferred to Saudi Arabia via Sanaa airport.
The Houthis had previously announced the capture of many Saudi soldiers during the confrontations on the southern border of Saudi Arabia, and at the end of last September they offered the release of 350 prisoners, including six Saudis.
In February of last year, a Yemeni government source revealed to Al-Jazeera Net that the number of Saudi prisoners held by the Houthi group exceeded thirty.