SANAA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebel group on Saturday unilaterally released 153 war prisoners detained during the civil war with the Yemeni government forces in recent years, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

Iscander Saeed, the spokesperson of the ICRC in Yemen, told reporters at a press conference in Sanaa that "Ansarullah (Houthis) today released 153 war prisoners unilaterally."

The ICRC welcomes this unilateral release, he added.

"The ICRC has facilitated the initiative in the framework to encourage all sides to move ahead in this humanitarian file and release prisoners," he said.

Those released were handed over to their family members who had come to Sanaa from other provinces.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni internationally recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation, according to United Nations (UN) aid agencies.

In May 2024, the Houthi group unilaterally released 113 war prisoners.

In April 2023, the UN facilitated the exchange of 900 prisoners between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group.

Thousands are still being held in prisons on both sides, including political opponents, human rights activists, and journalists.

The UN is trying to release of all detainees and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni sides to end the war. Enditem

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