Saudi Arabia, Houthi rebels swap prisoners

Riyadh, (IINA) - The Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government announced on Wednesday that it swapped prisoners with Houthi rebels as well as welcomed a pause in combat on the border, prompting hopes of a push to end the year-long war that has killed some 6,000 people, news agencies reported.
Seven Yemenis were released in exchange for Saudi Corporal Jaber Al-Kaabi, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The coalition said the swap was part of a deal brokered by Yemeni tribal leaders and included a "state of calm" along the Saudi-Yemeni border.
The deal is one of the most hopeful signs yet to emerge from the conflict, which has killed some 6,000 people, according to BBC.
The coalition said it had agreed to "a state of calm on the Yemeni border adjacent to (Saudi Arabia) to make way for the entry of medical and relief materials".
The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government of President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
In a related context, human rights groups said that the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen has deteriorated severely due to the war, with more than 21 million people, or four-fifths of the population, requiring aid.
AG/IINA

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