Sanaa: An exchange of nearly 900 prisoners from Yemen’s civil war will start on Friday, one day later than previously announced, a government official said on Wednesday.
No reason was given for the delay to the three-day exchange, in which prisoners will be flown between cities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
The biggest prisoner swap since 2020 is taking place after a delegation from Saudi Arabia held talks with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia this week in an attempt to end hostilities.
A six-month United Nations-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October is still largely holding.
“It has been confirmed that the exchange process will start on Friday morning,” tweeted Majid Fadael, spokesman for the government delegation negotiating the exchange.
The prisoner transfers “will last for three days, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday,” said Fadael, revising the timetable he announced on Tuesday.
The Houthis are releasing 181 prisoners in exchange for 706 detainees held by government forces, according to an agreement reached last month in Switzerland.
Yemen prisoner exchange postponed to Friday: official
https://arab.news/bz8bv
Yemen prisoner exchange postponed to Friday: official
- “It has been confirmed that the exchange process will start on Friday morning,” tweeted Majid Fadael
- No reason was given for the delay to the three-day exchange
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
