Houthi rebels free 4 govt soldiers in northern Yemen

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) – Houthi rebels have released four government soldiers in northern Yemen, according to a Yemeni military spokesman on Monday.

The soldiers were set free on Sunday as part of a swap with rebels under which the body of a slain Houthi commander was handed over, Col. Abdullah al-Ashraf told Anadolu Agency.

“The soldiers had been captured during clashes in Al-Yatma directorate in Al-Jawf province ten days ago,” the spokesman said.
The Houthi commander had been killed during the clash.

Yemen has been racked by chaos since late 2014, when the Shia Houthi group overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing the Saudi-backed government to flee to Riyadh.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as a proxy force for Shia Iran -- launched a wide-ranging military campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains and shoring up Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.