Saudi detainees included in second day of Yemen prisoner swap

More than 100 Houthi rebels left Saudi Arabia's Abha airport for Sanaa in exchange

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  Freed prisoners celebrate after arriving in Sanaa following a swap between warring parties in Yemen. Reuters

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  Relatives waited for the return of loved ones. Reuters

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  The International Committee of the Red Cross said 318 prisoners were released on the first day. Reuters

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  The ceremonial Baraa dance was performed for freed prisoners at Sanaa Airport. Reuters

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  Relatives cheer as the plane lands. Reuters

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  Freed prisoners of war walk at Sanaa Airport, after arriving on a flight chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of a prisoner swap between the rival sides in the Yemen conflict. Reuters

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  People wearing Yemen Red Crescent Society jackets wait as a plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport. Reuters

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  Houthi prisoners, freed under a deal between the rebels and Yemen's internationally recognised government, pray on the tarmac at Sanaa International Airport. AFP

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  Relatives of freed prisoners wait at Sanaa Airport. Reuters

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  Mahmoud Al Subaihi, centre, former defence minister of Yemen's internationally recognised government, and Nasser Mansur Hadi, top, brother to former Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, arrive at Aden International Airport after being freed by the Houth rebels under the prisoner exchange deal. AFP

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  A freed prisoner is kissed after arriving at Sanaa Airport. Reuters

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  Yemeni Houthi rebel prisoners released as part of a prisoner exchange with the internationally recognised government, before boarding a flight to Sanaa. AFP

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  Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross wait to receive exchanged detainees loyal to the Houthis at Sanaa Airport. EPA

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  Released Houthi rebel prisoners in Aden, on their way to board a flight to Sanaa. AFP

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  Freed prisoners travel on a bus to an ICRC-chartered plane at Sanaa Airport. Reuters

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  Yemenis gather at the capital's airport ahead of the prisoner exchange. AP Photo

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  An Embraer ERJ aircraft flying under the banner of the ICRC takes off from Sanaa Airport. AFP

A flight carrying rebel prisoners of war left Saudi Arabia bound for Yemen on Saturday, and 16 Saudi prisoners were to be released by the Houthi rebels and flown to Riyadh, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

The flights are part of a three-day exchange involving nearly 900 detainees that comes amid a renewed push to end Yemen's eight-year war between Iran-backed rebels and a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.

On Friday, 318 prisoners were transported on four flights between government-controlled Aden and the rebel-held capital Sanaa, reuniting with their families ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al Fitr next week.

Saturday's flight from the southern Saudi city of Abha took off before 9am, headed for Sanaa with 120 Houthi rebel prisoners, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan said.

Photos shared by the ICRC and family members of detainees on social media showed emotional reunions, with many prisoners not having embraced their families in years. Some were even forcibly disappeared, and hadn't been able to communicate with the outside world.

Prisoner Tawfiq Al Mansouri's brother told The National he had not heard from him in eight months, ever since he was taken by the Houthis eight years ago. He expects his brother to be reunited with his family on Sunday, the third day of the prisoner exchange.

Buses carried the rebel prisoners on to the tarmac at Abha airport, which has previously come under attack from Houthi drones and missiles.

Wheelchairs were positioned near the buses to take some of the prisoners to the plane.

Sixteen Saudis and three Sudanese are expected to be transferred from Sanaa to Riyadh.

Sudan is part of the Saudi-led coalition and has provided ground troops for the fighting.

In addition, 100 Houthis were due to be flown on three flights to Sanaa from Mokha on the Red Sea coast, a town held by the coalition-backed government.

The prisoner exchange is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen's war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting, as well as knock-on effects like food insecurity and lack of access to health care.

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber, visited Sanaa this week along with Omani officials for several days of talks with members of the Houthi leadership. Mr Al Jaber left late on Thursday without finalising a proposed truce but with plans for more talks, according to Houthi and Yemeni government sources.

The UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, who hailed the talks as the closest Yemen has come to making real progress towards peace, was scheduled to brief the UN Security Council in New York later on Saturday.

Senior aides to US President Joe Biden also praised the progress towards resolving the conflict after "constructive" talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The meetings included Mr Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and his Yemen envoy, Tim Lenderking, and took place on Thursday and Friday, said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

"Their discussions focused on the critical progress being made towards a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Yemen, which President Biden has long prioritised," Ms Watson said in a statement. "The US side confirmed its support for the defence of Saudi Arabia against threats from Yemen and elsewhere."

The peace effort comes as Saudi Arabia and Iran work to restore diplomatic relations after a seven-year gap, under an agreement brokered by China last month.

Active combat in Yemen has reduced since a UN-brokered ceasefire last April. The truce officially lapsed in October but has largely held.