Arrival of 200 prisoners of war at Sanaa international airport
Mohamed al-Attab
Press TV, Sana'a
These flights touching down at Sana'a International Airport could signal a major step forward in efforts aimed at ending a nearly-5-year war in Yemen.On Thursday, nearly 130 Ansarullah movement prisoners arrived in Sana’a after they were released by Saudi Arabia.
The International Committee of the Red Cross transported the detainees from Saudi Arabia to Yemen.
The Ansarullah members were given a hero's welcome at the airport by crowds of people including their relatives.
Riyadh says the prisoner release is aimed at paving the way for a larger prisoner swap agreed upon in Sweden last year.
Under the agreement, the two sides should release 17 thousand prisoners of war.
The Yemeni army and popular committees have so far released 600 prisoners while this is the first group of prisoners released by the Saudi-led coalition.
The prisoner release by Riyadh comes nearly two months after the Houthi Ansarullah movement stopped retaliatory attacks against Saudi Arabia as a sign of good will.
Riyadh has been holding informal talks with Ansarullah since late September about a ceasefire as it seeks to exit an unpopular war which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left some 24 million Yemenis in dire need of humanitarian aid.
With the arrival of the first batch of Yemeni prisoners of war, many Yemenis hope the warring sides move toward building trust and ending the devastating five-year-long war in the country, which is experiencing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
Spain cancels ammunition contract with Israel after crisis with coalition partners
S African protestors decry America’s ongoing support for global aggression
Russia to begin gas supplies to Iran via Azerbaijan, boosting energy ties
No talks on tariffs between China, US: Chinese Foreign Ministry
Hamas: No partial truce, only comprehensive deal acceptable
Yemeni forces target Israeli Nevatim Airbase in retaliatory missile strike
Pakistan carried out US ‘dirty work’ for 30 years: Defense minister
VIDEO | Huge explosion rocks Shahid Rajaee port in southern Iran; over 500 injured
Pakistan says ready to ‘defend sovereignty’ amid rising tensions with India
VIDEO | World leaders, mourners bid farewell to Pope Francis at funeral in Rome
Europe sidelined in indirect Iran-US talks
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
