Saudi-led coalition says Houthis to release 15 Saudi prisoners

Houthis

RIYADH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday that 15 Saudi prisoners are to be released by Houthis as per the Yemeni prisoner exchange agreement, Saudi Arabia's local Al Akhbariya TV reported.

Yemen's warring sides have agreed earlier on Sunday to exchange 1,081 detainees and prisoners during the first stage of talks in Switzerland.

The coalition spokesperson Turki Al Maliki told a press conference in Riyadh that the Yemeni government will release 681 prisoners and the Houthi militia will release 400 others.

Al Maliki said the coalition's top priority is to recover the prisoners as soon as possible, adding that of the total 400 individuals to be freed by Houthis, there are 15 Saudi soldiers and four Sudanese nationals.

The spokesperson said that the exchange operation in Yemen would be under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The civil war in Yemen started late 2014, while the coalition intervened in 2015 to support President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.