Red Cross says it repatriating 128 detainees from Saudi Arabia to Yemen on Thursday

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

GENEVA (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday it was repatriating 128 detainees from Saudi Arabia to the Houthi-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

In an announcement posted on Twitter, the neutral aid agency said: “Today we are repatriating 128 #detainees from #KSA to #Sanaa. We welcome this initiative and we are pleased to see humanitarian considerations taken into account for the sake of the families waiting for their loved ones to return home.”

On Tuesday, a Saudi-led military coalition said it had released 200 Houthi prisoners from the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in a step that could further efforts aimed at ending the nearly five-year war in Yemen. It was not immediately clear if the 128 were part of the group.