Yemeni Houthis Release 66 Prisoners Under Exchange Agreements - Reports

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Houthi movement announced the release of 66 prisoners under the exchange agreements, Head of the National Committee for Prisoners Affairs Abdulqader Mortada said, as cited by local media.

"Sixty-six prisoners were released… within framework of the exchange process…", Mortada said, cited by Almasirah TV channel.

Yemen, a small nation in the south of the Arabian peninsula, has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces, led by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, and the rebel Houthi movement for several years now.

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Over the past weeks, the fighting has intensified. On Tuesday, the Houthis said that they had attacked an airport in the Saudi city of Najran, adding that an arms depot in the airport's premises had caught fire as a result.

A Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. The conflict has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

According to the United Nations, the war in the crisis-hit country claimed over 7,000 lives, but many organizations put the number even higher. In addition, the organization estimates that almost 20 million Yemenis lack access to healthcare, and nearly 18 million do not have clean water or access to sanitation.

The fighting has contributed to the world’s worst cholera outbreak, with some 10,000 suspected cases every week. According to the World Health Organization, some 65 percent of the population needs medical attention.

READ MORE: Yemen Crisis Far From Resolution Amid Lack of Unity Project — Ex-Houthi Leader