Hundreds of Houthi followers were released on Thursday from Yemeni prisons in Sana'a and Sa'ada provinces according to the Qatari mediation between Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.
Houthi information bureau, confirmed that 460 prisoners arrived to Sa'ada province after being released by Yemeni government. At least 270 detainees were released from Sana'a prison, while 190 others were released from Sa'ada prison.
In return, Houthis returned military equipments seized in confrontations with the government as part of the peace deal, the spokesman for the Houthis told media outlets.
The release came several days after Qatari mediators visited Yemen in a mission to promote the implementation of a Qatari- mediated ceasefire agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels.
On August 26, the Yemeni government and the Houthis signed an agreement in Doha to cement a fragile ceasefire in northern Yemen that ended sporadic battles since 2004. The agreement set a timetable for implementing previous truce deals, including the 2008 Doha peace agreement and the February 11, 2010 ceasefire deal.
Qatar started its mediation between the government and the Houthi Group few years ago, brokering a short-lived deal between the two sides in 2007.
The short-lived deal was breached by volatile confrontations until a sixth war erupted in mid-2009.