A journalist-activist team headed on Friday to Yemen's province of Abyan in the south to mediate the release of 73 soldiers who were taken as hostage during al-Qaida raids on military posts in March.
The delegation included activists from the HOOD and al-Karama organizations, which earlier this month said al-Qaida was threatening to execute the soldiers.
The two organizations said in a statement al-Qaida had decided to execute the soldiers if demands including the release of terrorists held inside the political security prisons were not met.
Six days ago, al-Qaida set April 30 as the final deadline to meet its demands or it would execute the soldiers; ten a week.
Meantime, the organizations have appealed to the authorities to stop shelling areas in Abyan to enable the team to reach the place where the soldiers are held.
a spokesman for the team said the three-day mission of the journalist-activist team aims to secure the release of the soldiers before April 30 and the results will be released immediately.
Also, Human Rights Watch has recently urged al-Qaida to avoid extrajudicial executions of the soldiers because killing can't be a card of negotiation.
Killing soldiers or civilians violates the laws of war and al-Qaida in Yemen should not bet on the lives of people to make gains, the US-based organization said.
Early last month, al-Qaida fighters raided some army posts in the Doufas area, Abyan, killing and taking as hostages scores of soldiers. They also looted military equipment.
The army, with direct support from the US and popular fighters, has been fighting the militants in southern and southeastern regions including Abyan, Shabwa and Baida.
Hundreds of militants have been recently killed and injured in the battles, mostly in Abyan, amid expanded military operations against militancy under the new government.