First batch of Houthi prisoners arrive at Aden airport
The first batch of Houthi militia prisoners arrived Friday at Aden airport after the Arab coalition released them in good faith as part of the UN truce.
The ICRC plane arrived at Aden airport with 40 Houthi militia prisoners on board, as part of an Arab coalition initiative that includes the release of 180 captives from the coup.
Two International Red Cross planes carrying Houthi militia prisoners are expected to arrive at Aden airport with 117 captives.
Omar al-Bashir, a spokesman for the Red Cross in Yemen, said in press statements that the ICRC is facilitating the transfer of Houthi prisoners released by the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy.
The prisoners are being transported via three International Committee of the Red Cross planes taking off from Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport to Yemen’s Aden airport, all Yemenis held in captivity for conflict-related reasons, he said.
Earlier, the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen announced the departure of its first Houthi prisoner transport aircraft to Yemen.
According to the Arab Coalition, the operation is part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian initiative.
The Arab coalition added that the airlifting of Houthi prisoners to Sanaa and Aden will be completed in three stages on Friday.
The humanitarian initiative is unilateral to the Arab coalition and includes 163 Houthi prisoners, 117 of whom will arrive at Aden airport.
Nine Somali and Ethiopian prisoners of war are due to be repatriated, and 40 humanitarian cases will be released under the supervision of the International Red Cross.
A Yemeni government official revealed on Thursday that a special plane will carry Houthi prisoners from Saudi Arabia to Aden airport after militias refused to receive them at Sanaa airport.
