Yemen's Largest Prisoner Exchange Takes off!

Yemen’s government and the Houthis agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners today, on Thursday, considering it the largest prisoner exchange operation since the beginning of the conflict between both parties.

Planes carrying prisoners exchanged by the warring parties in Yemen took off this morning in an operation to return about 1,000 men home, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“The ICRC teams are present in different airports. The preparations are ongoing,” spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Yara Khaweja told Reuters. “If everything goes as planned, the release operation will hopefully happen in the coming few hours.”

“Follow us today and the coming days for the latest updates on facilitating the release & transfer of detainees agreed upon by the parties in #Yemen. With @YemenCrescent & @mediasrca, and as a neutral intermediary, we'll assist hundreds of former detainees to return home," the International Committee of the Red Cross wrote on Twitter.

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An ICRC plane, which is expected to carry 108 prisoners of the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, took off from Sanaa airport heading to Sayoun airport in Hadramout, Reuters witness said.

In exchange, the Houthis would release around 400 people, including 15 Saudi soldiers and four Sudanese as the plane arrived at Abha international airport in Saudi Arabia.

This process comes upon the agreement agreed between the two parties in the negotiations hosted by Switzerland last month, which included a number of 1081 prisoners.

Under the deal, the Houthis would release 400 prisoners, while the coalition would free 681 Houthi fighters in the a trust-building measure aimed at reviving peace talks.