Yemeni govt, Houthi rebels exchange 20 prisoners

The Yemeni government and its foe, Houthi rebels, have exchanged 20 prisoners through a tribal mediation on Monday, a government military official said.

“A total of 10 soldiers and 10 rebels were set free,” Yahya al-Hasir, head of the prisoners committee, told Xinhua by phone.

The swap took place in Moton district in the government-controlled northeastern province of Jawf.

Previous local mediation had succeeded in several swap deals between the rival forces.

Yemen has been plagued in a civil war since late 2014 after the Houthi rebels overran the capital Sanaa and forced the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile. (Xinhua/NAN)