Saudi coalition transfers Yemeni prisoners as part of truce

The Red Cross has said that a plane carrying Yemeni prisoners has arrived in the southern city of Aden, as a truce deal between the warring parties enters its second month

SANAA, Yemen -- The Red Cross said Friday that a plane carrying Yemeni prisoners held by the Saudi-led coalition has arrived in the southern city of Aden, as a truce between the warring parties enters its second month.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is facilitating the transfer of at least 100 prisoners back to Yemen on three flights, said Basheer Omar, ICRC Yemen spokesman.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said last week that it would release 163 prisoners to its rivals — the Iran-backed Houthi rebels — in support of a ceasefire agreement between them. The agreement, brokered by the United Nations, aims to pave the way to an end for the 8-year-old war.

There was no immediate comment from Houthi authorities on the release, or clarification on how the prisoners would make their way back to their territories. Aden, in the country’s south, is controlled by the country’s internationally recognized government.