Smoke rising near the Maasheq lighthouse after a Houthi rocket attack on the Yemeni government's presidential palace in the provisional capital of Aden. (Credit: AFP photo)
Yemen’s Houthis announced Saturday the release of 159 members of government forces detained since hostilities resumed in July, as part of an amnesty. The individuals ‘‘surrendered voluntarily, without offering resistance,’’ during the Iran-backed movement’s offensive in the west of the country, said senior Houthi official Abdelkader al-Mourtada at a news conference in Sanaa.
After seizing control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and subsequently capturing large parts of the country’s north, the Houthis took control of the west coast in September. They later announced an amnesty for fighters who laid down their arms.
The Yemeni government, which is seeking to push back the Houthis with Saudi support, also announced an amnesty for Houthi fighters but did not provide figures.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed in a statement that the Houthis had ‘‘unilaterally’’ released ‘‘159 people recently detained in connection with the conflict.’’ The organization said it had, among other things, checked the detainees’ health status.
’’The ICRC played no role in determining the identity or number of people to be released,’’ it said.
According to al-Mourtada, 323 prisoners had already been released in September after surrendering in Hodeida governorate, in western Yemen.
Despite daily Saudi airstrikes, fighting continues in Yemen, with no significant changes to the front lines, according to military sources. The Houthis have also carried out attacks targeting airport and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including one on Oct. 10 that killed 13 people.