Yemeni sides say deal reached to free nearly 900 prisoners

By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides say they have agreed to release nearly 900 prisoners of war in a U.N.-brokered deal amid international efforts to end the yearslong conflict. The deal reached Monday on a prisoner exchange capped 10 days of intensive talks in Switzerland between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels. The discussions were co-chaired by the U.N. and the Red Cross. The deal involves the release of over 700 Houthi prisoners, according to the head of the Houthi delegation. The Iran-backed Houthis would release more than 180 prisoners, including Saudi and Sudanese troops fighting with the Saudi-led coalition. It’s unclear how many prisoners remain but the number is thought to be in the thousands.