Prisoner Exchange Between Saudi Arabia and Houthi Rebels in Yemen

On the verge of a ceasefire in Yemen, reports indicate that Houthi Shiite militants and Saudi-led coalition forces exchanged prisoners on Monday. According to these reports, at a border point between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the Saudis received 9 prisoners and in return handed over 109 Yemeni prisoners. This exchange, as announced by Saudi officials, reportedly took place on Sunday. The Saudi statement, however, did not mention the identities of the released citizens or the reasons for their detention in Yemen. This is not the first time prisoners have been exchanged between the Houthi Shiites of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Last month, in exchange for the release of a Saudi soldier, seven Yemenis were freed. The ongoing process lays the groundwork for a ceasefire that is set to begin in less than two weeks, on April 10, with Kuwait hosting peace talks for Yemen a week later. Since tribal leaders in Yemen sought to establish peace in the country, the border with Saudi Arabia has become somewhat calmer, although reports from France's news agency and Saudi sources indicate that on Sunday, 8 individuals, including 4 children, were injured in crossfire at border points. Saudi Arabia has been fighting Houthi Shiite militants and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen, who is said to be backed by Iran, for over a year along with its Gulf allies. The Houthis and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh continue to control parts of Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, after months of fighting. The United Nations states that the war in Yemen has left around 6,300 dead, more than half of whom are civilians, and over 80% of Yemen's population requires humanitarian assistance. Amidst the unrest and war in Yemen, Islamic extremist forces linked to groups known as ISIS and al-Qaeda have increased their influence in Yemen, carrying out attacks against both Shiites and forces loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the current president of Yemen. Human rights groups have also criticized the high death toll from the Saudi-led coalition's attacks and have urged Western countries not to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia.